In Love With The Proper Stranger
by Seajellybaby
Summary: AU - Their's is a love story which happens quite by accident, in the midst of a dangerous whirlwind of mystery and deceit sparked by the death of Luke's mother-in-law  - COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

This is the first story I wrote outside of The L.A. Series and my first alternate universe Nuke. The story was written for the 2011 Big Bang event. I hope you enjoy it... please review...

...

The man Luke fell in love with; the man Luke married; was kind and smart and cared about people even though most of them never knew it. Luke was the only person who saw this side of him and it made Luke feel special somehow… like he had been allowed into a secret and wonderful world nobody else ever saw.

And so Luke was willing to overlook the fact that his old friends tended to stay clear; and that his family invited him to events hoping he'd show up alone. He would usually show up solo since his husband hated all social occasions not work related or stipulated to by him.

Reid Oliver, an optometrist with his own clinic on Manhattan's Upper East Side, was a full decade older than Luke. He didn't make a fortune. But he earned a decent and honest livable income; better than most other people.

Besides, it wasn't like they needed his income, what with Luke inheriting World Wide Publishing from his grandmother on her retirement along with receiving a tidy inheritance from his paternal grandfather in Malta.

In fact, Reid's income didn't even play a part in his marriage to Luke. It was Reid's to do with as he wished and Reid had a separate account for it as well as access to their joint account at Citibank.

Luke met Reid four years ago at a charity exhibition held in an art gallery near Central Park.

At first, Luke despised the arrogance and sheer rudeness of the guy, keeping his distance as much as possible.

But over time, Reid seemed to thaw around him, becoming more and more interesting, more and more appealing despite the age gap.

During the early stages of their 3-year-long marriage, Luke romantically believed that fate had played a part in their union, always setting them up to collide at some or other event or in the street or at a coffee shop.

But now, knowing all he had discovered about the stranger to whom he was legally attached; Luke began to understand that he had been deliberately pursued by Reid… most likely for his money.

What a naive lovesick idiot he had been!

This kind and smart and caring man, who had somehow snuck into his heart, didn't exist at all.

Luke had been duped.

The cold hard truth was that the man Luke fell in love with, the man Luke married, was a fraud, a fake, a liar.

Worse than that, he was a cheat!

...

Luke rolled out of bed as soon as he heard Reid start to snore. He was a deep sleeper. A military band could march through the house and the man wouldn't wake up.

Luke didn't bother staying quiet. Sighing, he dumped the used condoms in the bin by the door.

The bastard hadn't even noticed that he'd faked orgasm twice! Luke had been playing the dutiful husband for three long months, keeping in character, keeping up appearances.

All the while he was formulating a plan to end the charade of their marriage in the most excruciating means possible… for Reid at least.

But Luke had to admit it was getting harder and harder to pretend; harder to hide his pain and humiliation when his moron of a husband didn't even bother trying to hide his infidelity.

He walked around to Reid's side of the bed and watched him sleeping; sandy-colored hair spiked and messy; naked body sprawled across the sheets. The angriest part of him, the part being kept at bay for the sake of his plan, wanted to lift a pillow and smother that face until he couldn't utter another snarky word to anybody ever again; let alone fall into the arms of another man!

The disgusting bastard! FUCK!

He unplugged Reid's iPhone from the charger and entered his cheating husband's pin. The fool used the same pin for everything! You would think somebody as smart as Reid would know better.

You'd also think somebody as smart as Reid would refrain from entering his sex dates into his calendar. Either he wanted Luke to find them or he really did think Luke was too stupid to figure it out.

Luke sighed remembering that Saturday three months earlier. He had come home early from a business trip to Chicago. So excited to surprise his husband, Luke hadn't even bothered to take his bag out of the trunk, figuring he would fetch it later that night.

As he started to cross the street to their New York brownstone, he noticed his friend Reg's Blue Audi parked nearby.

Upon entering the house, Luke was confused to find the living room empty and the lower part of the house quiet. Perhaps the two of them had gone out somewhere.

It was only when he reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper levels that he heard it. He could still recall how that sensation hit him like a fist right in the pit of his stomach and that part of him that turned immediately to denial.

It's not what you think! There's got to be an explanation!

He wouldn't do that to you!

His hand shook as he grabbed hold of the banister; his feet rubbery as he started the climb up the curved staircase, careful to remain as quiet as possible.

The closer he got to their bedroom, the louder the groans and moans of unmistakable sex and the more his stomach turned. He remembered wanting to run away and pretend it wasn't true.

But a strange compulsion or a sick curiosity, spurred him forward.

Luke would never get that image out of his head. His husband being royally fucked, in THEIR bed by Luke's own so called best friend!

He'd left them to it.

They hadn't even noticed him. Would they even have cared that he walked in on them?

Luke left the house in tears; his heart broken in a thousand pieces. He drove around the city his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel.

It was that same day after discovering the affair that Luke decided to hire a private investigator to follow his husband. He wanted answers about Reid and Reg. He wanted to know how long it had been going on.

He wanted to know why.

But he wasn't prepared for the shock of discovering the stream of lovers his husband had on the go. SIX so far… that Luke knew about.

Reid seemed to have an insatiable desire for sex. He would hook up in between patients and during his lunch hour; and frequently while Luke was away on business for World Wide, sometimes seeing two or three of them a day.

Realizing this sickened Luke to the core. He knew he would never again have any feelings for this man lying asleep before him.

After discovering Reid's nasty little habit, Luke brought the condoms back into play. He didn't like having to sleep with Reid knowing all he did.

But he wasn't yet ready to confront him about it. If Luke suddenly pushed away his advances, Reid would instantly become suspicious.

When Reid questioned the reintroduction of the condoms, Luke muttered something about it being cleaner. Thankfully, Reid didn't argue.

The rest of the time Luke did his best to avoid the situation by working longer hours or disappearing on "business trips".

Luke would never forget that feeling of apprehension as he sat in the doctor's office awaiting the results of an HIV test he thought he should take. Thankfully it came back clean. But having to undergo the testing was just another thing Luke would never forgive or forget.

And his husband's multiple affairs weren't the only thing the investigator unearthed about Dr. Reid Oliver.

...

Reid's mother Juliet, whom Luke knew lived in a poor, run-down section of Brooklyn, had given birth to two children; not just one as Reid had led Luke to believe. Reid was born 11 years after his half-sister from his mother's previous marriage to Ian Wilson.

After spending a decade mourning the death of her first husband and raising her daughter, Charlene, Juliet met and married Shane Oliver. Reid was the product of this union.

But when he was just five years old, Reid's accountant father suddenly died of a heart attack. Juliet was once again left alone, this time with two children to raise on her own.

Charlene Wilson was a lot less academic than her brother would later turn out to be. She was so unlike Reid, who would later go straight on to college after graduating high school.

At the tender age of 22, Charlene married a young soldier named Winston Mayer fresh out of basic training. Consequently, the couple didn't have a cent to their name by the time she had their son a year later.

So while Winston was away for Special Ops training, Charlene and the baby continued to live with Juliet and 13-year-old Reid. Part of the arrangement included Charlene helping her mother to run the family-owned classical movie theatre.

Two months after the birth of their son, Charlene and her husband were killed in a pileup on the I-95 just north of the city.

Thankfully, their baby son was in the safe care of his grandmother, Juliet; now left to raise him.

Twelve years later, Juliet, then in her early 70s, became gravely ill and suffered a mild stroke, making it impossible for her to run the theatre on her own.

Reid had been living apart from them for quite a few years and was already pursuing his medical career and financial security.

He hired a man named Gregory Chilton to not only run the business; but also to become a boarder in the Oliver family home, seeing to its upkeep and to the care of both Juliet and her 12-year-old grandson.

...

Luke quickly checked through Reid's contacts; found Juliet's address and jotted it down. He then scanned Reid's appointments. Sure enough "mother" was entered every other Thursday morning.

Luke had always thought it sweet that Reid cared so much about Juliet.

He had offered more than once to buy a house for Juliet in a safer neighborhood; and Reid would always decline, saying his mother would see that as charity and never accept it.

But Luke's investigator discovered that Reid had already spoken to a couple of real estate agents, getting estimates on the combined worth of the theatre and Juliet's home.

Since Juliet first purchased her little classical movie theatre 20 years ago, the area around it had flourished. Unbeknownst to her, while the theatre made little to no money, the real estate it occupied was now worth a small fortune.

It soon became clear to Luke that Reid was waiting for Juliet to die so that he could gain control of her assets and make a quick buck. Just another reason for Luke to boil inside with indescribable rage and abhorrence!

Reid never once invited Luke to meet Juliet. His excuse was that she was sickly and wouldn't be able to handle the news that her son was gay, let alone married and living with a man in one of the richest sections of Manhattan.

Luke now felt sure this was just another damn lie in a long list. Reid was hiding something over at that house and he was determined to find out what.

Luke was dressed and out of the house early that morning while Reid was still asleep. He drove his BMW to the office, changed into something more casual including a baseball hat to hide his tell-tale blonde waves.

He borrowed the office security guard's '93 Ford Mustang; and drove it over to Juliet's house. He parked across the street and waited.

Thirty minutes later, he caught sight of a young man toting a garbage bag coming out of the house. He wore a hat, blue jeans and a thick brown ski jacket to guard against the cold. The hat was pulled down low on his face so Luke couldn't make out his features. But from what Luke could tell he was around 18.

"This must be Reid's nephew…"

The tall young guy dumped the bag into a large black garbage can and started walking up the street in the opposite direction from where Luke was parked.

Luke couldn't help wondering about him, especially as to why Reid had never mentioned this part of his life.

From what the investigator told Luke, the kid led a very sheltered and solitary existence. He'd dropped out of school at 16 to help take care of his grandmother after she suffered her second stroke; which left her bed ridden.

According to the investigator's report, the grandson would take over managing the theatre from Greg Chilton at night.

The P.I. had the impression that the kid was smart. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would spend time working on what appeared to be school books; and earned extra cash running drama workshops for kids in the neighborhood community center.

He didn't seem to do much, the detective reported to Luke, except work, study and look after his grandmother.

The investigator also discovered a secret bank account the kid opened as soon as he was old enough. It was here he would deposit any extra cash he earned from the workshops.

Although his former teachers called his dropping out of school a waste, he was actually using the extra cash to pay his way through correspondence courses for his GED; having the course work delivered to a post office box opposite the theatre.

It was no wonder he liked to keep this account secret. Greg had a habit of visiting the casinos and betting thousands every night, wasting money and borrowing large sums from the wrong people – the kind of people who would kill him without a moment's hesitation.

Luke wondered if the man ever took money from the kid to pay off his gambling debts.

Greg actually sounded like a lazy good for nothing waste of space, and Luke couldn't help wondering why Reid kept him around.

Just as the boy disappeared down a side street, Luke spotted Reid's red Lexus pulling up in front of the house. Luke had purchased the car for Reid as a present for his 30th birthday.

Now he shook his head thinking about how modest Reid had seemed on receiving this gift. His husband was such a good actor!

As Reid stepped out of the car, a rather good-looking and well-built man appeared from inside the house. He was the type of person you wouldn't want to come up against in a fight; built like a wrestler, solid as one of those nightclub bouncer types.

So this was Greg?

He sauntered down the front sidewalk, grinning broadly and meeting Reid half way. Then, to Luke's horror, Greg was drawn immediately into Reid's chest and manically devoured by Reid's mouth.

Luke tried to ignore his revulsion and his hurt at how Greg managed to keep his position! It seemed that in finding help for his mother and nephew, Reid had taken the opportunity to add another sex toy to his collection.

He waited for them to close the front door before quickly darting across the street and around to the back of the house. Once there, he climbed over the fence and carefully checked each of the windows; ducking back out of sight when he heard their voices.

When he next peered into the room, the two of them were in quite a hurry to remove each other's clothing. They kissed, groaned, panted and rubbed each other all over with Reid obviously enjoying himself.

He watched Greg throw Reid against the closet door, lifting his leg high by gripping the back of his knee and then plunging himself into him. Reid emitted an animalistic groan.

"Shit but you're tight!" Greg moaned and continued his violent thrusting, "God it feels so good! Urg… urg… ang… I'm going too…"

"Don't! Not yet you fuck!" a gasping Reid warned.

"Shhhhiiit!"

"NO!"

"Arrrgh!" He sank into Reid, huffing.

"Dammit!"

"I'm sorry babe! You just feel so good! I couldn't stop it! I'll do better next time!"

"That's what you always say you idiot!" Reid pushed the guy back. "Just suck me off quickly and get it over with!"

It took Greg a while. But eventually Reid found his release and angrily proceeded to get dressed.

"FUCK! Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you anymore! You're all body with no promise!"

A sheepish-looking Greg silently began getting dressed.

"Where's…?"

"She's sleeping."

"Not my mother you idiot! The brat… where's is he?"

"I sent him shopping. I know how you hate to run into him."

"Did the doctor come by yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Well? What did he say?"

"He said it's unlikely she'll make it past Christmas."

"Good. I spoke to her lawyer and she hasn't changed her will! I still get everything and we need to keep it that way! Did you stop messing around with the pill issue like you said you would?"

Luke's heart froze. "Surely Reid wouldn't…?"

Greg snorted in derision. "Pretty impossible with the kid around! When she's real sick, he stays close by. I don't get a look in! Until he's out the way, there's no hope of speeding up the end anyway."

"Don't you go doing anything stupid! Stop messing about with those damn pills! They're only just keeping the old bat going anyway!"

"What about your husband?"

"What about him? He doesn't know anything about this and he never will."

"Doesn't he ever ask you where you go and who you see?"

"No. That's my business. Besides, I've got him right where I want him just like you."

He drew Greg toward him in another noisy and wet kiss.

"You want some more?" a hopeful Greg asked.

"Wow!" Reid really did have the guy eating out the palm of his hand, just like he had all those others. Luke felt suddenly relieved he was now wise to him.

"No, I'm off to spend some of hubby's money! Then I have a few patients to see to. But I'll be back later to show the old crow my face."

Luke slid down quickly, pressing his back into the brickwork as Reid approached the window. He pushed it all the way open to air out the room and any hint of sex.

"Okay, but when you come back this evening, I'll be ready for you! And I'll hold out this time… I promise!"

Luke stayed put until he was sure they had left the room. He then rushed over the fence and back toward the borrowed car.

He was so set on his mission he didn't see the man coming the other way. They slammed violently into each other, both falling onto their backsides with a loud oof!

Luke recovered quickly, jumping to his feet to immediately aid the other man… Reid's nephew. He stretched out his hand for the man to take it but then found himself gasping. His hand dropped slowly to his side; and his mouth gapped open.

"Stop staring!" Luke commanded himself, but felt completely unable to look away.

The vision that lay before him was incredible, literally taking his breath away!

The young man had the deepest blue eyes he'd ever seen and jet black hair that framed his perfect face in tiny waves like the ocean at night. There was an irresistible innocence about him; a softness.

Something strange and new and totally unexpected was swirling its way through Luke's body. He suddenly felt lightheaded.

He still hadn't moved when the beauty before him took on a look of horror. He scrambled to his feet and roughly pulled Luke against the wall of the neighboring house.

Luke heard a car's engine start. But he didn't have a moment to determine whether it was Reid's before the taller man was abruptly pulling his face toward him and leaning down to kiss him.

The feel of this young man's lips on his and the rush of excitement that consumed his entire being was indescribable. The kiss was soft and smooth and youthful.

Even though the car had long since driven past, Luke found his hands coiling around the nape of the kid's neck; the soft black curls tickling between his fingers.

The boy seemed just as enamored, deepening the kiss while gently teasing Luke's lips apart and seeking out his tongue, letting Luke taste the sweetness of him.

Luke was only too aware of his awakening manhood more so as the younger man's hand wrapped around the small of his back under his coat, and drew him closer. His hardened bulge pressed against the guy's thigh.

The closer-than-this encounter seemed to jolt Reid's nephew back into the present. He quickly released Luke and stepped back, drawing in a loud breath of air.

"What the HELL was that?" Luke asked, suddenly angry. Was he angry about this kiss or the fact the boy was backing away?

"I didn't want my uncle to see me. What else was I suppose to do?"

His voice was baritone and Luke felt it vibrate right in the middle of his belly.

"Oh and two guys kissing in broad daylight in this neighborhood, isn't something that would draw his attention?" The sarcasm dripped from his words.

"I doubt it! In this shadow, he'd just take you for a girl."

Luke touched the top of his head. His cap had apparently slipped off during the fall.

The kid looked at him critically, eying his clothing.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"That's none of your fucking business!" Luke was angry and embarrassed and perhaps sad.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as though the kiss disgusted him. He struggled not to show his emotions, which were swinging violently from left to right while his heart was surely clocking at least 100 miles per minute.

Why was he so flushed?

The young man grinned at him. "If the kiss was REALLY that bad, why didn't you stop?"

"Shut up!"

"Time you went back to where you came from…"

He watched flustered as the tall figure walked away from him, stopping to pick up the grocery bag he'd dropped before continuing toward his house.

Luke vowed to find out everything about him.


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie Coleman, Noah Mayer's theatre co-worker and best friend, had been critically studying him for the past half hour.

He was carefully avoiding eye contact.

"Okay!" she finally blurted out. "What is it?"

"Huh…?" a surprised Noah asked innocently, accidently dropping his pen on the floor.

"You've had that ridiculous look on your face ever since you walked in the door."

"What look?" he asked, bending over in his chair to search the dark space under the desk for the errant pen.

"This one…" She cocked her head slightly sideways and stared dreamily up at the ceiling.

Noah laughed at her.

Maddie was about to ask him again when Noah bobbed his head toward the counter. "Customer…"

"Humph!" she huffed, raising one eyebrow at him. "Don't think this means you're getting off answering my question! I know you, Noah Mayer, and something is definitely up!"

While the customer paid for his movie ticket, Noah quickly buried his nose in the theatre accounts, hoping if he looked busy she might let him be.

No such luck!

"So…?" she stood before the table with both hands on her hips, her ponytail swinging with determination.

He slowly raised his eyes to meet hers.

Maddie had been Noah's only real friend ever since she came to work at the Brooklyn Cinematic Arts Theatre two years ago.

Maddie was the only person he had ever told about his attraction to men; and about having to fend off Greg.

She in turn had confided in him about her mother's drinking, violent mood swings and their struggling financial situation.

He was silent for a while before deciding to tell her of his encounter with the man outside his house.

"You KISSED him?"

"I didn't have a lot of time to hide," Noah shrugged. "It seemed like kissing him was the only option to avoid Reid."

"But…" she gapped at him. "But how did you even know he was gay?"

Noah hadn't really thought about that.

"I don't know," he truthfully answered. "I just reacted. I guess he could have been straight. But…"

"But...?"

Noah couldn't help the corner of his mouth lifting as he remembered the feel of that man's hard crotch pressing against him and the feel of that man's gentle tongue brushing against his.

"Let's just say there was overwhelming evidence that he liked it."

"Are you CRAZY?" she chastised her friend. "You can't just go around grabbing at men in the street! What if you grabbed some homophobe?"

"But I didn't." Noah shrugged.

"Yes but what if?" She shook her head at him. "I know some guys on the street who would kill you for that!"

Noah just shrugged. "I don't know, Mads. There was just something about this guy, you know? The way he was looking at me, I guess."

"Just how was he looking at you?"

Noah thought back to that moment when he'd drowned in eyes as brown as acorns freshly fallen from oak trees in fall. He saw a spark there and felt it deep inside himself.

He smiled as he recalled how the guy was clearly trying to blend into the poorer neighborhood by dressing down. But those beautiful long blonde locks were just a little bit too styled and a bit too shiny.

And the Armani sneakers… dead give away!

"He looked at me like he wanted me."

"Oh my god!" she leaned forward over the desk and stared him dead in the eye. "You've fallen for this guy, haven't you?"

"What?"

"You have got it bad!"

"Don't talk shit, Mads! I don't even know the guy's name. Besides, he's not from around here."

"How do you know that?" She quickly sat at the table opposite him and leaned her chin in her hands, eager to hear more.

"There was something about him." Noah tried to explain. "The way he was dressed and stuff. I think he comes from money."

"That would be SO COOL!" She was getting more excited by the second.

"What would?"

"I can just see it!" She held out her arms like a director setting a scene. "Some rich prince sweeping you out of poverty and up into his castle!" She sighed at the possibility, returning her chin to her hands. "Just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman!"

Noah laughed. "Rich prince… yeah right! And I'm not sure I like being compared to Julia Roberts, thank you very much!"

"Well, why not? That uncle of yours managed to snag himself one and he's a right sorry son of a bitch! So why shouldn't it happen for you?"

"You're such a dreamer Mads! Did I ever tell you that?"

"All the time. But don't go changing the subject! What did he look like?"

Noah laughed at her enthusiasm. "He was blonde."

"Blue eyes?"

"No, brown, really brown like… chocolate."

"Tall?"

"No, shorter than me. But really muscular… like he works out."

"Yum! I like him already!"

"And…" Noah continued but then stopped as he considered the thought.

"And…" she prompted.

Noah smiled. "Older. I think he's older than me."

"A sugar daddy! Love It!" Maddie was radiating excitement.

"Not that much older, Mads… Geez!"

Noah was suddenly aware of how all this talk about the gorgeous stranger was having a noticeable affect on his body. Why was that? Usually those kinds of feelings scared the hell out of him. But with this man it was…

"What else? Come on! Give me the 411 and don't leave anything out!"

"He smelled like hay."

"Hay?" Her freckled nose wrinkled.

"Yeah but in a good way, ya know? Like fresh air and the country. But it wasn't just that. There was also a hint of really expensive cologne. Strange right? Like a country boy but with money. And he was so strong. He… he pulled me into him really hard. That's why I stopped."

"Aw Mayer… you are such a goner!"

"Hey… yo!" The voice of an annoyed customer at the ticket window interrupted their conversation. "How 'bout some service over here? The movie starts in five minutes!"

"Oh, yes!" Maddie quickly jumped up. "I'm so sorry, sir! How can I help you?"

While Maddie got to work helping out the customers and getting the movie started, Noah finished up with the accounts and then opened up his course work. He was determined to maintain his 4.0 average.

Noah knew his grandmother's time was close. His heart clenched at that. The thought of life without the only parental figure he had ever known tore at him like a knife.

But if there was one thing she had taught him, it was to be prepared. Noah was well aware that his uncle would turn him out the moment his grandmother drew her last breath. That went without saying.

So he was determined to finish school and get a good job as soon as possible. With the diploma, he would be prepared then to take care of himself and not end up on the street like other kids in a similar situation.

Besides, he couldn't wait to get as far away from Greg as possible.

...

With the final movie on the night's schedule now showing on the small theatre's screen, Noah saw no reason to keep the ticket booth open. He got up, stretched and sauntered over to the window. He was just about to pull down the blind when a five-dollar bill slipped through the slot.

Without looking up he pressed the necessary buttons on the automatic coin return; assuming the customer wanted the change for the snack machine.

He reached up for the blind's cord…

"Can you help me please?"

The voice traveled through Noah like butter. His entire body stiffened. He slowly lowered his head and met those same eyes that had dominated his thoughts all day.

"What are you doing here?" Noah asked tentatively, not sure whether to be scared or not.

"Seeing a movie, isn't that what this is? A movie theatre?"

"The last movie started half an hour ago. You're a little late!"

The blonde smiled at him causing Noah's heart to skip a beat. He swallowed hard. Damn! The guy was stunning!

"That's too bad. But I still need some help out here."

Noah narrowed his eyes at the stranger.

"Seriously!" the guy insisted. "I really want a Pop Tart. But my last quarter got stuck somehow in your machine over there."

Noah looked passed him through the window at the machine standing way off against the wall. The bulb indicating a jam was flashing.

His eyes left the machine to travel to the door leading up to the projector room. He was suddenly wishing Maddie would tire of the movie and appear to save him.

When the projector room door didn't open, his gaze returned to the man before him. God! Why did this guy have such an affect on him?

"I really do need some help." The blonde insisted. "The machine seems to be broken."

A sighing Noah unlocked the ticket office door; and joined the man in the empty lobby. The rest of the staff had long since left for home.

"Why are you really here?" Noah asked him. "Are you following me?"

"You wish!" The stranger laughed. "Look I just want a strawberry Pop Tart to enjoy while watching the movie… which I'm missing because of a stupid snack machine."

Shaking his head Noah pulled the ring of keys from the door and walked over to take a look at the machine. It certainly was jammed.

Whether the guy broke it on purpose, Noah wasn't sure. Maybe he had seen it that way and just used it as an excuse.

Either way Noah felt a little uncomfortable. Why had this guy turned up at the theatre?

Even worse… how did he know where Noah worked?

Was this guy some kind of stalker?

Noah quickly spun round expecting to find the man looming over him with a hammer like in all those horror movies he loved to watch.

Instead, he found the guy standing ever so nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, offering up a million-dollar smile.

Noah turned back to examining the machine, finding his hands sweaty and shaking nervously. No guy had EVER made him feel so… so!

Noah used the smallest key on the ring to open the machine; and bent to stick his arm up the inside and with his fingertips released the jammed coin.

As Noah pulled back, he felt something brush his backside making him gasp. He quickly turned on the man, shoving him hard into the wall. Noah held his arm up against the man's neck and pinned him there.

The man looked surprised. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing?"

"You tried to fondle me, you disgusting old pervert!"

"Really?" the blonde snorted. "Look, for one thing, I'm not that much older than you, and for another, you've got some nerve accusing me of being a pervert, when yesterday it was YOU attacking ME with your tongue!"

"I only did it to hide from my uncle! I already told you that! Now buzz off!" He released the man and pointed to the exit.

"You're crazy, you know that? I didn't touch you! When you finished with that machine you backed up into me."

"Yeah right!" Noah glared at him. "A likely story coming from some stranger just trying to cop a feel. And while we're at it, let's get something clear! I pushed you off me this morning after you tried to jump me! Don't try to pretend otherwise!" Noah squinted at him. "We both know it's true!"

"What do you take me for…?" He looked seriously hurt by the accusation. "You were the one who started it!"

"Yes… and I finished it too! At least I thought I did until you showed your ugly mug here tonight!"

Why was he here? His presence was befuddling Noah's brain.

Maddie chose that moment to come out of the projection room door. She gawked at the sight of the two heaving bodies before her. The air was positively charged with sexual energy,

"Everything okay out here?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Noah exclaimed. "It's this guy," he gestured with his thumb, "who doesn't know the way out!"

Maddie turned on the man. "Are you giving him a hard time? If you don't stop it, you'll have to deal with me! You hear?" She puffed herself up to her full height, which wasn't very tall or big for that matter.

The unwelcome customer didn't even look at her. He just turned around to use the now working snack machine.

Noah stomped back into the office and started packing up to close.

Why did he feel so angry? Was it anger? Or was he disappointed? He felt so totally off kilter.

"What the hell happened before I arrived?" Maddie asked. "What did he say that's got you so mad?"

"Nothing! He's just a complete waste of space! I need to leave right now. Can you wait 'till the end of the movie and lock up? I'm really tired and I still have to clean the house."

"Sure babe," she said kindly, worried about her friend's upset state.

Noah grabbed his books and marched out the theatre, not giving the stranger another look all the while feeling those brown eyes boring into this back.


	3. Chapter 3

An anxious Noah would check the mailbox he rented at the local post office every day for news on his courses and most of the time the box would be empty.

But he practically jumped with excitement when he found a letter had arrived. He knew it would contain the grades for his latest two assignments.

He held the white envelope reverently in his hands for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of it before deciding to prolong the anticipation and open it later that night at home.

On the dark walk back to the house, he had the distinct feeling he was being followed. It made him extremely uneasy; he walked faster. In this neighborhood, you could never be too careful.

Minutes later Noah breathed a sigh of relief as he put the key into the lock.

The house was dark and quiet. As usual, Greg was out gambling. Noah would have to remember to sleep with one eye open to guard against him. He was sure to return home stinking drunk.

As he began to close the front door behind him, a foot blocked it suddenly from the outside. A frightened Noah kicked at the obstacle, trying to get the door closed.

That's when he heard that voice… again.

"Wait! Wait! It's me!"

Noah pulled the door open to glare at him.

"And so what? Look, I don't know you. Yet you continue to hang around in a neighborhood where you clearly don't belong. You come by the place where I work. You follow me home. Coincidence?"

His blond waves of hair would hang down over his eyes.

"Okay, I know. But it's not what you think."

"What the hell AM I supposed to think?"

The man was obviously lost for words because he stood there gapping at him. An inpatient Noah tried again to close the door.

But the blonde's hand flew up to block it.

"Look! I know how this must look and… please… I usually don't act like this! I can't believe I'm even here! But I feel… I feel like…"

"Like WHAT?" a clearly frustrated Noah asked.

What followed was a long momentary standoff punctuated by deep glares exchanged between Noah and the home invader.

His eyes were the same shade as tree bark in spring.

Those incredible russet eyes looked like they were contemplating something. The man kept rocking back and forth on his feet like he wanted to act but something was holding him back.

Noah was completely taken by surprise when the stranger darted forward; grabbing his head; and kissing him fully on the mouth.

Instinct screamed at Noah to break free from the crazy stranger. But that familiar scent from the other night was wafting into his nose and doing things to his brain, taking over his senses.

Noah's arms developed a life of their own, quickly wrapping around the blonde, his hands twisting the back of the man's jacket in tight fists.

Before he knew it, he was groaning into the kiss.

It… felt… amazing!

"I can't get you out of my head…" the blonde sighed when he came up for breath.

Their eyes burned together, surprising them both with the intensity of sensation. There was an unfamiliar and astounding force between them.

Noah didn't give him a chance to add another word. He pressed their lips together again and licked at the corners of his mouth, begging for entrance.

Noah moaned loudly as their tongues met. He explored all the dark and warm and wet recesses of the other man's supple mouth.

"Mmm… you taste so good," the blonde whispered into his ear as they both heaved another breath of air. "…like heaven!"

Their lips met in a further zealous, eager kiss.

"I want…" Noah couldn't stop himself. He was consumed by an overwhelming need to possess this beautiful person.

Discarding every warning telling him to stop, Noah dragged the man back with him - mouths glued together - through the house to his bedroom.

They never made it to the bed.

Instead, Noah backed into the corner and his inexperience showed as he struggled with the buckle on his belt.

Sparks traveled through him when he felt the man's hands on his, helping to undo the belt, then the button and finally… the zipper.

Never before had Noah felt such an urge to be close to another man and his own level of confidence surprised him.

Overwhelming natural sexual desire seemed to drive him forward. He was acting on pure instinct despite those deep seated fears that previously held him back.

The man seemed to sense this. As Noah's hands came up to cup his cheeks; the blonde covered them in his own, interlacing their fingers. He pressed Noah's palms to his cheeks; penetrating Noah with his eyes.

The amber orbs moved over his, searching, and Noah began to feel uncomfortable. This man seemed to be peering right into his soul, reading his every secret.

"What is it?" the blonde asked softly, a deep sadness shadowing his eyes.

"What?" Noah whispered in an edgy croak.

"Who hurt you so deeply?"

Noah's entire body began to shake violently.

He knew! But how could he?

Noah pushed him back in horrified astonishment and in shame. He grappled to get his thoughts in order, find his footing.

"Sorry I…" The man stepped toward him.

It was then that all those feelings Noah was fighting against vanished when his eyes caught a slight glint of gold. He grabbed the man's left hand and stared down in horror at the band on his finger.

He slowly lifted his head and gave the man his angriest glare before slamming down the offensive hand as though it were the filthiest thing on earth.

"I can't believe it! God, I'm such an idiot!" he spat, hundreds of emotions threatening to drown him.

"No… wait!" The blonde shook his head and his eyes grew round with panic.

"GET OUT!" Noah started to physically push the man out of his bedroom.

"Noah…"

The moment the blonde said his name he froze.

Noah glared at him in a stark mixture of trepidation and anger.

"Who are you? How do you know all this about me?"

"I…"

"OUT!" Noah shoved him down the hallway.

"Wait!" the man kept repeating as they moved closer and closer to the front door. "It's not what you think!"

"Oh? So you're not married and you're not following me?"

There was a long pause. "Yes, I am but…"

"Fuck you! GET OUT!" He opened the door; pushed the man outside; and slammed it shut in the stranger's bewildered face.

...

A completely winded and tearful Noah stood there staring at the door.

Son of a bitch!

Noah spun around and slumped against the door. Taking long, deep breaths, he tried to reason with himself; to somehow justify what he had just done.

It was good and right to kick him out because it was totally weird… wasn't it? The way this man was showing up… following him… spying on him.

"The way he makes me feel," Noah shook his head. "It's not right!"

He just wanted to forget about the guy and get back to concentrating on his future.

"That's the important thing now."

"Noah?" His grandmother called out from her bedroom.

"It's okay, Grams. Go back to sleep."

He knew he should go in to check on her. But he couldn't let her see how upset he was. She'd know something was up right away!

Noah's eyes fell onto the white envelope from the school resting on the hall table.

Shit! That was careless. What if Greg had found it? Damn!

He grabbed the envelope and carried it back to his room. Closing the door behind him, he sat down on the end of his bed.

The man's face once again invaded his thoughts. How his cheeks dimpled when he smiled.

SHIT!

He shook his head and opened the missive containing what he thought would be his latest set of grades. Noah was desperate for anything to lift his spirits and take his mind off what had just happened?

But instead of a report card, the envelope contained a letter from the school's academic dean.

"_Dear __Mr. Mayer, _

_Our accounting office informs me that despite their numerous attempts to collect, you have not paid your school for the past three months. _

_Unfortunately,__ you leave us no choice but to withhold your grades until we receive a personal check or credit card authorization for $2,150. Failure to bring this account current within the next five business days will result in denying your application for advancement."_

Noah's hands dropped to his lap, the pages crumpling in his fingers.

He knew he was behind, but he thought they might overlook it long enough for him to finish the year, especially with such good grades up till now. But no such luck!

Where the hell was he going to get that kind of money?

"Shit!"

He fell backward onto the bed and pressed a pillow over his face to muffle his frustrated scream.


	4. Chapter 4

Luke was up to something.

Reid wasn't sure what. But he knew the guy well enough to know for certain. Luke was a crappy liar, who wore his feelings all over his face.

That feeling coupled with the sex having definitely fallen flat lately had Reid convinced something was up.

Whatever it was, he sure as hell didn't like it!

Reid grew even more suspicious when he came home to a cupboard-bare kitchen.

Luke always saw to it that Reid was well fed. Translated that meant a fine dinner lovingly prepared and on the table when Reid walked in the door.

Or when he was away or working late, Luke would make arrangements with one of the neighborhood's gourmet take-out places to deliver to the brownstone; especially for Reid.

But Luke hadn't called Reid today and there were no tempting aromas to greet him.

Just another piece of evidence to convince Reid that all was not well.

Over the past few weeks, he had begun to wonder whether Luke suspected something. But then he would always dismiss it.

After all, he reasoned someone like Luke would have confronted him if he found out about the other men. Wouldn't he?

It wasn't that Reid didn't have any feelings for his husband. The blonde was a nice enough guy with a sunny smile and was definitely great in bed. Who wouldn't like him?

Reid would almost go so far as to say he could love Luke, if it wasn't for the guy's incessant need to smother every so-called special occasion in heavy doses of sentimentality.

God, but it was annoying! Couldn't they just say happy birthday and move on?

And Valentine's Day…? Please! Who the hell had the time for the candy, flowers and the rest of that shit?

Reid was grateful every single day for the invention of the cell phone calendar application! If it wasn't for his phone's ability to provide reminders, he'd have forgotten all those stupid details.

Luke would have surely grown tired of him a long time ago.

Reid prided himself on playing the loving husband to Oscar-winning perfection. He always had the expected romantic gesture prepared in advance, although he found the whole process tiresome beyond belief.

Still, it was a small price to pay to live in the lap of luxury and enjoy the occasional proverbial romp in the hay with the luscious blonde.

And as for the guy's family? Reid wouldn't even go there for fear of saccharine overload.

"Luke?" he called out. His stomach was heading into overdrive rumbling.

Oh well. He would just snack on something until dinner was served. He waltzed up to the stainless steel side by side; opened the doors only to have the empty white illuminated shelves coldly gleamed back at him. He nearly fainted.

That's when Reid finally started catching on. He'd been so focused on feeding his face he'd completely missed the plain, simple fact that the house was empty, absolutely bare, with not a stick of furniture… anywhere.

He walked into the kitchen's center, which just that morning had been home to the breakfast table and chairs, almost expecting it to magically reappear.

Okay… what kind of game was this?

Reid checked the kitchen cabinets. "What the fuck?" He furiously opened and then slammed the door of every fringing empty cupboard.

His heart started to hammer. But he wasn't the type of person to lose his cool.

Get angry, yes. But he never shouted or screamed.

Rather, it was his nature to simply demand and expect to be obeyed. People never argued with him. He was just so brash they did as he told them.

And that was the way he liked it.

"Luke!" he barked out in the same demanding tone he used with his clinic staff.

But there was no response.

He turned on his heel and marched into the empty living room where deep depressions in the beige wall to wall indicated the previous positioning of the sofa and chairs, the sideboard and coffee table.

He considered firing the cleaning company for doing such a crummy job of the carpets, when he remembered he had a more serious problem on his hands.

Upstairs was no better.

Someone had cleaned out every single lamp, picture, rug, bed, table, dresser, and set of drapes from every bedroom.

Everything from expensive toiletries to the toilet paper was gone from the two bathrooms.

Every stitch of clothing – including Reid's several designer suits - along with every pair of shoes was gone from every closet.

While checking out the master bathroom, Reid happened to glance out the window.

There on the patio was Luke stretched out on a sun bed. He was wearing shades, even though it was grey and getting dark, not to mention freezing cold.

Ignoring his stomach groaning in loud complaint at missing its usual feeding, Reid took the steps leading back downstairs two at a time before skidding around the corner; and throwing open the glass sliding doors leading to the patio.

"LUKE!" he announced loudly. He didn't yell. He was Dr. Reid Oliver. He never yelled.

No response. Luke just lay there soaking up an imaginary sun like some lizard would do out in the dessert; without a care in the world.

Reid was seething. But he wasn't going to display any kind of emotion. That wasn't what he did.

Taking a deep breath, he sauntered over to Luke trying to appear like coming home to an empty house didn't bother him at all.

"Luke?" he asked with fake cordiality.

"Oh," the blonde smiled. "Hi Reid. How are you this fine evening?"

"Don't play smart with me, Luke! What the hell is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you blind? The house Luke! The fridge is freaking empty! And where's all the fucking furniture?"

"Oh that?" He remained perfectly calm as if not a damn thing was wrong. "I decided to clean house… got rid of everything."

"You what?"

"I sold the furniture… all of it!"

"What in fuck's name would compel you to do that?"

"Because… I'm leaving you." He stood up, pulling out a thick manila envelope from behind the cushion. "You'll find everything in here." He shoved the envelope at Reid. "I'd be grateful if you would sign the papers as soon as possible."

Reid struggled to remain calm. Show no emotion. Stay in control. Don't give him the satisfaction.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your stuff is over there…" Luke nodded to a pile nearby of carelessly tossed clothing on the wet grass.

"You can't just do this Luke!"

"Do what?"

"Spring something like this!"

"I can do whatever the hell I like, darling; and don't even bother trying to contest the divorce. I have more than enough evidence to prove your infidelity!"

Reid's mouth hung open.

"Yeah, that's right, Reid. I know about ALL of them," Luke held up his fingers to count off Reid's lovers. "Let's see… there's Greg, Rodney, Adam… Reg… shall I go on?"

"Luke…"

"Save it!" Luke spat. "There's nothing you can say. You repulse me! You're a sly, lying bastard and I can't wait to be rid of you."

"You're nothing without me," Reid said, knowing how to push Luke's buttons. He struggled to keep from grinning when he saw the flash of pain cross his husband's eyes, visible even through the shades.

"You were just a sad, lonely little kid when I met you! I made you into the man you are today. I did that… me!"

Luke's eyes started to well up.

"I can't believe I ever loved you!" He shook his head. "But I'll tell you this. You're not getting one cent from me! Not. one. red. cent!"

He brushed past Reid, taking the cobbled path between their house and the nearby side street.

Left there in the garden, Reid felt a panicky feeling building within him. Resolving to remain in control, he stomped over to the patio doors determined to get some food. He couldn't deal or think about any of this until he ate something.

He was surprised to find the sliding door closed. He could have sworn he had left it open on the way out to the back yard.

The thought was just passing through his mind when he caught sight of a Gotham City Locksmiths' van pulling away from the curb on the side street.

"No!" he yelped and pulled at the handle. It was locked. "NO!"

He ran around to the front door and tried his key in the lock. It didn't fit.

"Oh…" a voice from behind said. Reid turned to find a smirking Luke. I also sold the house."

"Why you little son of a bitch!"

He started down the steps toward Luke, who was climbing into his BMW.

The loud sound of a tow truck's engine stopped Reid dead in his tracks.

He looked over in its direction with abject horror, and watched his beloved Lexis being hauled away.

"I'm also selling your car." Luke yelled out the window of his Bimmer. "It's still in my name after all." He started up the engine. "…and you might as well cut up all those shared credit cards, too. I cancelled every last one of them."

A totally blindsided Reid could only watch as Luke's car disappeared around the corner.


	5. Chapter 5

Noah quietly closed the door to his grandmother's bedroom behind them and walked with Juliet's doctor to the living room.

"Noah, I didn't want to say anything in front of your grandmother," Dr. Morton told him. "But I think you need to start preparing yourself."

He swallowed hard. "She doesn't have much time, does she?"

"Her heart is just about worn out, son. There's really not much more we can do for her except make her as comfortable as possible."

Noah nodded. He really didn't know what else to say.

"She should be in the hospital."

"No," Noah insisted. "She hates that place."

"Well, I'd feel better if she were hospitalized. But it's her choice. At least King's County is close by in case anything happens; and they have her medical records on file."

The doctor wrote out a prescription for Juliet and handed it to Noah.

"Here, get this filled. Hopefully it'll ease the pain somewhat." He looked kindly at the young man and then reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "Noah, I have a document here. It's called a Non Resuscitation Order."

"What for?"

"For when she goes into cardiac arrest… if that happens. You need to have a talk with her about what if any heroic means should be taken."

"What do you mean?"

"Does your grandmother want extraordinary measures including CPR to be taken, if her heart stops?"

Noah felt his heart squeeze. "Yes… of course we want that!"

"Now Noah… I realize this isn't an easy decision. If they resuscitate there is a chance she will end up on life support. Is that really something she would want?"

Noah couldn't help the tears as he shook his head.

"Right… you need to talk with her about it and the sooner the better."

"I can't…" his voice dropped away.

"Now I've known you for a long time son, and if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's your strength. She's going to need that from you now more than ever, okay?"

His throat too constricted for words, Noah simply nodded.

The doctor handed over the form and spent a few minutes talking Noah through it; indicating where Juliet needed to sign.

Once done, he patted Noah on the back and left.

The official document felt like lead in his hands. He wiped away the threatening tears and re-entered his grandmother's room.

"Hello beautiful," he said with as much of a smile as he could muster.

"Ah you little charmer you! Just like your granddad. God rest his soul. You have his smile. Did I ever tell you that?" Her voice was weak and she looked tiny, nothing like the formidable force she once was.

"Yes you have… nearly every day, I think."

"Well, it's the tru-" She lapsed into a coughing fit. Noah quickly grabbed a cup of water from the nightstand; and gently helped her to sit up before carefully positing the straw for her to sip. Her lips were dry and pursed as though she was shrinking away from the inside out.

A few sips eased her coughing and she thanked him with a small pat on his arm before trying to deflect the conversation from her illness.

"Don't you think Dr. Morton looks just like Bert Reynolds?"

Noah nodded shakily.

"What is it my love?" she asked as he placed the cup back on her side table. "Usually you'd have some clever comeback along the lines of 'more like Marlon Brando.' Why do you look so sad?"

"I don't want you to leave me."

"Ah Sugar, that's just the way of it." Her hands were cold and weak as they reached out for his.

"Dr. Morton gave me some papers. It's…" Noah's voice hitched. "It has to do with whether… you want the doctors to bring you back… if your heart stops…"

"Oh, I see… And what do you think?"

"You can't ask me that be-"Noah sniffed back tears. "…because I want them to do everything to keep you here. I know it's selfish of me."

"My time is almost up, Sugar. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go. I've lived my life and now it's time for you to get on with yours."

Noah nodded bravely. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"No… you won't because I'll be right here." She lifted her arm with some effort to press a bony finger to his heart. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, holding it up against his cheeks as teardrops began to fall.

He gave her a pen and held the document in place as she scribbled her consent.

"Now Noah," she said seriously, rasping through her breath so much so that Noah turned up the gauge on the oxygen tank. "You remember my special place?"

Noah frowned.

"The hiding place I showed you once… a long time ago?"

Noah did remember. It was a loose floorboard under her bed. He nodded.

"When I'm gone, there are some papers in there."

"What kind of papers?"

"They represent your freedom Noah, your future. They will provide for you." Growing tired she leaned back on the pillow with Noah's help. "I only have… two regrets in my life."

"Grams, rest now. We can talk later."

"Your Mamma was a good girl… so kind… but with a temper to match my own." Juliet shook her head. "And stubborn! That's where you get it from."

Noah smiled at her.

"Your Uncle Reid on the other hand. No matter what I did. That child followed his own path."

"You're not responsible for his choices Grams."

"No, but maybe if I had been stricter with him…"

"Shhh now."

"And I deeply regret not being able to help you with…"

Noah cringed. His grandmother knew about the shouting and Greg's hitting on him. The strain of protecting Noah from Greg had led to her second stroke.

"I have to go now Grams. I'm due at the theatre in half an hour."

"Please Sugar…"

She had tried several times to get him to open up about it. She wanted to know. She wanted to help.

But what could she do?

Noah would sooner die than have her know the whole truth.

"Everything's fine Grams. Really!" He kissed her fingers once more and quickly left the room before she could object.

...

Noah stopped by the pharmacy to get Juliet's prescription filled and then dropped off the medical directive at Dr. Morton's office.

Consequently, he was late arriving for his shift at the theatre; and found Greg in a foul mood because of it.

"Where the hell have you been? You're late!"

His body immediately tensed up as it always did around Greg, steeling itself for whatever might happen.

"The doctor took longer than expected."

"Yeah well… you should have told him to fuck off! Now I'm late thanks to your sorry ass!"

Noah breathed a sigh of relief when Greg stomped out the theatre entrance. Obviously wherever it was he was going was far more important than decking Noah.

He greeted Sal and Ian, who ran the concession stand, before entering the ticket office.

Switching on the computer, Noah immediately set to work on the monthly payroll.

He was just settling in, when Maddie arrived for her shift.

"Hey Mads!"

"Hey!" She hung up her coat, hat and bag and turned on the kettle, hoping to sneak in a warming coffee before the early evening customers arrived. "Sorry I'm late. Deidre has chicken pox! Can you believe it! As if we didn't have enough problems!"

Noah frowned sympathetically at her.

"And now we have to keep her in quarantine, which means we ALL have to squeeze into Ma's room!"

"Well, you know you can always stay at our place."

"With Greg? No thank you! I'll choose close quarters with my siblings any day over being anywhere near that maniac! Anyway we've had at least some good news!"

"What's that?"

"Henry got a job… finally! He's working as a bartender at some saloon over on Avenue L and wonder of wonders they gave him an advance. So now at least this month's rent is covered!"

"That's great! You can have a stress-free month for a change."

She nodded with a smile. It always amazed him how she could keep up her spirits even in the worst of times.

"And you?" she asked.

"What about me?"

"Heard anything more from that guy?"

Noah hadn't told Maddie about the incident at the house where he'd almost made the mistake of his life.

Would it have been a mistake?

"No," he lied. "Nothing."

Actually he'd been thinking about that man a whole lot. He'd found himself going there almost as an escape.

He should feel worried; what with the way the man kept showing up and seemed to know everything about him.

Yet he felt oddly safe. He couldn't explain it and deep down, there was an ache at the thought he might never lay eyes on the man again.

A small part of him wondered whether he did the right thing… throwing the man out without giving him a chance to explain.

"It did seem like he wanted to explain," he thought.

...

After work, Noah stopped by the post office across the street to check his mail box. But since he hadn't paid his course fees, he doubted there would be anything from the school.

Still for some reason, maybe habit, he felt compelled to check the box. He entered the combination, opened the door; and promptly did a double take.

There, resting inside, was a thick white envelope. What could this be about?

Pulling out the envelope, he checked the postmark and return address. Sure enough, it was from the school's registrar's office.

Tucking the envelope under his arm, Noah walked back across the dark street and sat down on a park bench under a streetlamp. He tore open the envelope's flap and withdrew the contents… a course instruction book and information for the next quarter.

"But…?" he whispered to himself, thinking that perhaps they had made a mistake in sending him the information.

A letter inside proved otherwise.

"_Dear __Mr. Mayer,_

_We are happy to welcome you back as a member of the student body n__ow that your account is settled in full. _

_Please find enclosed your course materials for the next quarter along with the results of your final two __grades from the previous quarter. _

_Congratulations on __achieving a 4.0 GPA, which positions you in the top 5 percent of the class."_

He smiled and bit his lower lip, but then felt the smile fade as he looked at the letter.

He couldn't phone the registrar's office until the morning to tell them there must be some mistake since he hadn't paid the bill. But as he sat there staring at the miracle before him he decided not to make the call.

If they had entered him in the final semester by accident then surely he should count his blessings and continue his studies.

As soon as he had the money, he could sort it out all out. It wasn't like he planned to dupe them or anything, but he was desperate. Completing this last semester was his only hope for the future.

Noah whipped through all the documents on his lap, stopping to pick up a few pages that fell on the ground in his excitement to see his marks... A in both subjects!"

He shuffled the pages back into the envelope; tucked it safely into his backpack and then with a lifted heart, hurried home.

He wanted to check on Juliet. She had looked so weak when he left for work that afternoon.

Noah could see that the living room lights were on when he walked up the front sidewalk. Taking a deep breath, Noah steeled himself before entering the house.

He caught a heavy whiff of booze and cigar smoke as he quietly pushed the door closed.

When things got this bad, Noah had to be very careful. He pressed his back up against the wall and slid his way toward the hallway, carefully avoiding every known squeaky floor board along the path to his bedroom.

When he reached his room, he took another deep breath. He was safe.

But Greg's large frame filled the doorway, blocking out the light. He pressed his palms against Noah's back and pushed him roughly into the room. He closed the door behind them and turned the lock.

Noah immediately began to breathe in short sharp shots as the panic set in.

"You made me late!" charged Greg. His eyes bulged, blood shot from the booze and who knew what else. "You cost me a hand and I lost it all! It's ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT!"

He lunged at Noah. But the younger man was quicker; managing to duck out of the way.

"Now I… I… expect to be comp…compen...sated!" He hiccupped, clumsily removing his shirt as Noah felt the bile rising up in his throat.

He had to hold it together. If he let the fear take over, he'd freeze up and then Greg would have the upper hand.

When he was younger, Greg had most of the control. Noah didn't stand a chance against his advances.

But for a while now, Noah, armed with guile and speed, had been able to avoid these situations. He just had to stay one step ahead. Eventually the alcohol and drugs would do their job and knock Greg out.

Noah made a dash for the door; attempting to get around Greg.

But Greg proved to be faster than expected. He grabbed Noah by the back of the head, slamming his face into the wall and turning him around, pressing his heavy frame against Noah's considerably lighter body and burying his face in Noah's neck.

Noah struggled to breath. He stretched dizzily and desperately with his hand; grabbing at the bedside lamp and slamming in against the side of Greg's head. The man swore loudly and stumbled backward falling heavily onto the bed.

That gave Noah enough time to unlock the door and race out of the house.


	6. Chapter 6

Luke had driven just a few blocks from the brownstone before he had to pull over. His hands and feet were shaking and he felt oddly out of touch with the world. It was like he was floating above it all while life went on without him.

Luckily he found a parking space on the street outside a small neighborhood park, where the final groups of nannies and kids were making their way home.

As the last glimmer of daylight began to fade over the playing field and skyline lights were growing brighter, he wandered down to the large man-made pond.

He'd often sit here with Reid and enjoy the fresh air while watching youngsters sail their tiny remote-controlled boats; and talk about having children of their own one day.

Or rather, Luke talked. Reid just grunted from behind the New York Times Crossword Puzzle.

Luke's most favorite place in the world was his Grandma Emma's farm back in Oakdale, Illinois where he grew up. This city park was as close as he could get to that same feeling of peace he got from the farm.

Obviously it wasn't near identical. But it wasn't bad considering the sprawling metropolis surrounding it.

The park's pigeons sat in rows along the tops of trees and backs of park benches watching him; hoping for some last-minute crumbs before darkness fell.

As he stood there before this strange avian audience, the skies opened up and within moments he was drenched to the skin. Still he didn't move, just kept taking those shallow breaths, shivering, determined not to give in; and failing miserably.

Why?

Why did he feel the need to mourn a relationship obviously doomed from the start?

Kicking Reid out of his life had been carefully orchestrated to make him feel better!

But it didn't! He drew no enjoyment or satisfaction out of it at all.

Suddenly feeling sick to his stomach, Luke rushed over to a nearby trash can and threw up in it. Holding on to the container's sides and staring down at the garbage and vomit, he let out not one but two mournful sobs before sliding down to the ground; coming to rest against the bin's concrete side.

Maybe he was mourning the years he had lost - the years Reid had stolen from him – along with the years he had planned ahead for them.

Maybe he was morning the loss of his home, the loss of his life as he had known it.

But one thing he knew for damn sure. It wasn't Reid he was crying over. He never loved Reid.

He hadn't known what love was until he found it one morning in the crystal blue eyes of a beautiful man; up against the brickwork of a strange house.

Yes, he was sure of it. He had fallen hopelessly in love with Reid's striking nephew.

When their lips met, it was like nothing Luke had ever known to exist. He couldn't get Noah out of his head.

He was especially concerned about that fear he had seen; a pain just behind Noah's tender eyes. He wanted to comfort him. He wanted to fix what was wrong. Nobody that perfect should ever be tarred by sorrow.

Maybe that was why he was crying. Helping Noah; being with Noah seemed so far out of reach. Especially now after he had successfully managed to convince the guy he was a sex-crazed, lunatic stalker.

Of course that was what Noah would think! Fuck! He had totally screwed that up!

Maybe he was crying because this real love he had found was now-

"Hey buddy?"

He turned toward the voice only to have the glare from a flashlight hit him directly in the eyes. He lifted his elbow to shield them.

"You okay?" the cop shouted over the driving rain. The collar of his NYPD-issued black raincoat was pulled up against the wind, while pools of water gathering on the brim of his cap ran stream-like down his face.

Luke hadn't noticed how dark it had gotten let along just how wet and cold he had become.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, officer. I wasn't feeling too well. But I'm fine now."

"Well you'll have to move along now, sir. The park is closed."

Luke stood and nodded, making his way through the rain toward his car, wiping the grass off his wet backside as he went.

Nearing the street, Luke was confronted by an angry-looking park services manager, his hand resting impatiently on the park gate.

He glared at Luke. "Park closes at 6 p.m. sharp!" he said, tapping his finger to his wristwatch.

"Yes, I'm really very sorry."

"Humph!" he huffed, slamming the wrought iron gate behind him.

Back in his car, Luke leaned over to grab his water bottle and wash out the sick taste in his mouth. He spat out the window and then took a few long swigs.

His phone rang and the display read Lily Snyder.

"Hi Mom."

"Hey Baby." Her voice was gentle and caring. "How'd it go?"

"Terrible!" he sniffed.

"Oh honey! I'm so sorry."

"I thought I'd feel better but I don't! I just feel…" he sighed.

"Would you like me to fly to New York, sweetheart? I could stay a few days. We could go see that new play or maybe do some shopping and stuff, you know, take your mind off it all."

Luke laughed. "I love you for the thought Mom, but I'm fine, really. Anyway, that's way more Faith's idea of a distraction than mine! Don't worry. I know I've done the right thing."

"Well I tell you that man better not come anywhere near me if he knows what's good for him!"

"Hopefully neither of us will ever have to see him again!"

His stomach clenched somewhat at the thought. But he knew the pain he felt was for the man he had believed Reid to be rather than for the louse Reid turned out to be.

"Yes." Lily agreed. There was a moment of silence before she asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mom! Please! Don't worry okay? I'm fine. I just want to go back to the new apartment, take a shower and get some sleep. I'll feel better in the morning. I just know it!"

"That's my baby! And Luke?"

"Yes?"

"Now you can go out there and find the man who deserves your love, sweetheart. I really want that for you."

"Thanks Mom, goodnight."

"Night my baby."

She hung up and he sat staring at the phone for a while. What if he had already found the man of his dreams and lost him? What then?

He drove to the new apartment housed in a luxury high-rise in the Upper West Side. It was more like a hotel than an apartment building, with beautifully-furnished accommodations and added features including an on-site gym and room service.

Luke's place was very sleek and modern… so totally NOT Luke. To him, it was a cold reminder of how lonely his life had suddenly turned out to be.

This new place would just have to do until he figured out what the hell he was going to do with his life.

He took a long shower and as the warm water washed over him; his thoughts were totally stolen by that tall black-haired, blue-eyed stunner.

Luke stepped out of the shower and padded dripping wet onto the plush cream carpet of his bedroom. He quickly towel dried and fell back naked on the bed staring at the ceiling, trying to rid himself of all thoughts of Noah.

But the memories of his smell and taste were relentless at turning Luke on until finally he had no choice but to satisfy himself by hand, imagining those red lips curled around-

Luke suddenly awoke from a deep sleep feeling an overwhelming and strange compulsion.

He glanced over at the digital clock, 1:32 a.m. He'd been asleep for hours.

"Something's wrong…"

He quickly dressed in jeans and a T-shirt; took the elevator down to the garage; and headed south toward Noah's home in Brooklyn.

He blew through several traffic lights and fish-tailed across the bridge into lower Brooklyn.

He didn't even fully understand what he would do when he got there.

Luke couldn't explain the sudden tug of anxiety compelling him to act like this.

He had to try again, even if he had to admit everything to Noah. Maybe Noah would understand. Maybe there was a chance, however small, that Luke could convince him his motives were genuine and sincere.

He just had to take that chance.

Luke sat parked opposite Noah's house for a while. He kept staring at the house; playing out a handful of scenarios in his head of what would happen if he knocked on the door.

He was shaken out of this reverie by the front door flying open and Noah rushing out and stumbling slightly.

"You come back here!" a man's voice boomed from inside.

Greg appeared in the doorway looking huge and menacing. He was shirtless and swaying considerably.

"You fucking little prick!" he bellowed.

Luke sat there wide-eyed as Greg quickly caught up with Noah and easily slammed him to the ground.

It was Greg's kick to Noah's ribs that shocked Luke into action. Noah really needed him. Greg was a huge hulk of a man and an injured Noah was proving to be no match for him.

"I'll KILL you! You hear me!"

Noah groaned loudly as the man's boot dug once more into his ribs.

Thinking fast, Luke popped the trunk of his car and drew out a nine iron club from Reid's golf bag he'd taken from the brownstone.

A sudden fury toward this man, who would treat a kid three times smaller than himself in such a way, drove Luke across the street and into the thick of it.

Greg was way too focused on causing maximum pain to his victim to notice Luke sneaking up from behind him.

But the moment he was close enough, Luke raised the club high and clobbered the giant's head as hard as he could.

Greg seemed to pause in place for a minute, swaying, before falling over sideways just like the trees Luke was used to chopping down with his dad on the farm.

He didn't stop to worry about Greg.

"Noah!" he exclaimed, throwing down the club and crouching beside him. He placed a hand on his shoulder causing Noah to flinch and crawl back quickly away from him. Noah's eyes were wide as blood ran down the left side of his face from a cut just below his hairline.

"It's okay," Luke tried to reassure Noah, "He's out."

Terrified, Noah's gaze left Luke to fall on the body lying sprawled across the sidewalk.

"What have you done?" he asked looking back up at Luke.

"Noah, I had to do SOMETHING to stop him!"

"Are you crazy?" Noah crawled over to where Greg lay and checked for a pulse, sighing with relief when he found one. "He's still alive."

"Are you okay?" Luke reached out for him only to be pushed back.

"What the FUCK? Do you have any idea what he'll do to me when he comes to? Shit!"

"Noah… he was going to kill you!"

Noah stood up shakily and it took everything in Luke not to rush forward to help him. But the glare of fire in the blue depths kept him at bay.

"I can take care of myself." Noah sniffed. "I've done pretty well at it my whole life! I don't…" He grimaced, keeling over and holding his arms across his bruised stomach.

Luke couldn't help it. He took one step forward. But Noah's hand shot out to warn him off.

"I don't need your help, okay? I don't want it!"

Luke felt sure his heart cracked at the look of agony on Noah's face. His stare was cold with warning as he breathed heavily in staggered breaths.

"Go back…" He inhaled deeply. "Go back to wherever it is you came from and… and… do me… a fucking favor… stay there!"

He turned and started to limp back toward the house. But halfway up the walk the pain grew too great and he began to fall.

Luke caught him midway and their eyes locked. Noah was reading him. Luke could almost feel his thoughts. He realized then that it wasn't anger but trepidation and humiliation that was driving Noah now.

They stayed that way for a moment, Luke's arms around him.

Finally Noah began to struggle against the hold and they both fell to the ground. Luke didn't know what possessed him but he wouldn't let go. Instinct told him to hold on.

"I don't need this!" Noah screamed. "I don't… need… anybody!"

Luke kept Noah in that hug despite his struggles and protestations.

Eventually his cries of "let go!" turned to sobs and his hands came up to grip at Luke's jacket.

"It's okay." Luke whispered, pulling him as his struggles subsided, into an even deeper embrace. "It's okay. Let it out. Just let it all go."

As the adrenaline left his body, Noah wept, pressing his face into Luke's jacket and convulsing as he sobbed. His hands clawed deep into Luke's arms.

"How long," Luke wondered, "has this kid been living in such fear?"


	7. Chapter 7

While it was unlikely Greg would come around for a few hours, Luke wasn't about to take the chance he'd have another go at Noah.

So with much effort, Luke and Noah pulled his prone body further up into the front yard and hid him behind some shrubbery. Chances were that nobody would find him until sunrise.

Luke took pleasure in the thought of the monster headache the guy was bound to have.

Most likely he wouldn't know what had happened. Hopefully he wouldn't remember what had happened at all.

Before leaving the house, they checked in on Juliet and were relieved to find she apparently slept through the entire attack. Noah left a note beside the phone on her nightstand in case she woke up during the night and needed to reach him.

The obvious affection Noah held for his grandmother did not go unnoticed by Luke. He watched as Noah ensured her comfort and kissed her cheek before they left.

They drove in silence to Luke's apartment. He had insisted on taking Noah with him; and Noah was too exhausted to argue.

Luke greeted the apartment building security guard with a smile. The man frowned at him, noting the blood-stained friend by his side.

"Everything okay, Mr. Snyder?"

"Yes Earl, thank you. Just a little accident. That's all."

Noah still appeared extremely cautious of him; keeping his distance as they rode the elevator up to Luke's apartment on the 30th floor.

The Tylenol Noah had taken from his grandmother's medicine cabinet seemed to have done him some good. His face had a little more color.

God… that face!

Once inside the apartment, he took Noah's coat and hung it in the hall closet, still pinching himself at the thought that this amazing person was actually there.

He watched Noah as his cobalt eyes roamed around the opulent apartment. The young man wandered over to the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows, which ran nearly the full length of the room.

Noah's eyes grew wide taking in the majestic and twinkling view of The Time Warner Building and the CitySpire Centre towering over an array of office buildings and other luxury high-rises, along with upscale boutiques and restaurants.

"What exactly do you do?" he asked turning back to Luke, "…to afford a place like this?"

"Oh… this and that." Luke smiled. "Really, I was just born lucky. But this place isn't much of a reflection of me. I just recently rented it. Hence all the unpacked boxes over there." He pointed to a box-like fort tucked away in a nearby alcove. "Personally, I don't put that much stock in money."

"That's because you have it." Noah wasn't trying to be nasty; just stating a fact.

Luke considered he was probably right.

Noah's eyes swept over the rest of the room until they landed once more on Luke.

"Your wife?"

Luke held up his right hand. The ring finger was now naked, although a stubborn white line served as a reminder of a previous relationship.

"You mean my husband? Gone." Luke was finally able to tell him. "I'm getting divorced."

Was that relief that crossed the taller man's noble features?

Luke caught sight of a trickle of blood beginning to follow the dried path down Noah's forehead. He quickly grabbed a strip of paper towels from the kitchen counter before walking over to Noah and reaching up to stem the flow.

This caught Noah off guard. He instantly stepped back at the unexpected movement and their eyes locked again in that weird and wonderful way.

"Sorry," Luke said shyly, his half-raised hand still holding the paper towels. "It's… your head's bleeding again."

"Oh." Noah whispered.

Remaining rooted, Noah cautiously reached over and took the wad of paper towels from Luke; and dabbed it against his own forehead. Bringing it back down, Noah saw for the first time how badly he was bleeding from the cut.

Luke watched him earnestly. "Um… okay… look… I know you don't know me or anything and this is all a little… I don't even know what." he laughed breathily. "But… will you come with me to my room?"

Noah fretfully stepped back causing Luke to quickly back-peddle.

"No! I… I mean… so that we can clean you up?" He held out his hands, hoping Noah would realize he meant well. "It's okay. Promise."

Noah looked back down at the blood-soaked towel; then lifting his eyes to Luke's, he nodded. He followed Luke down the whitewashed hallway to the master bedroom which offered another breathtaking view of the Upper West Side.

Picking up a remote that lay near the bed, Luke pressed a button and the blinds whirred closed followed by soft lighting illuminating the room.

"Okay." Luke said. "Take a seat. I'll be right back."

Noah winced as he sat on the edge of the bed.

It was crazy… the feelings Luke had for this young man he hardly knew. Yet, he did. He felt like he'd known Noah his whole life.

As Luke re-entered the room with a small bowl of water and a First Aid Kit, he felt a nervous Noah watching his every move.

"Snyder… That's your name?"

Luke smiled and knelt on the carpet before him. "Yes… well… Luke… Luke Snyder."

"Luke," he said as if trying the name out; feeling it roll across his tongue.

Luke dipped the end of a washcloth in the bowl and knelt up toward him. Noah didn't move back this time.

"This might sting a bit…" he said gently. "I put some antiseptic on the cloth."

Noah nodded and their gazes locked once more as Luke's forefinger and thumb slightly squeezed his chin so he could move Noah's head to one side and get to work cleaning the dried blood from his face.

"You know…" Noah said, "I could do that?"

Luke stopped for a moment. "I want to do it. Is that okay?"

For the first time, Noah smiled at him and nodded. The smile completely transformed his face, adding to his appeal. Luke smiled back and set to work, periodically wringing out the cloth in the bowl.

Once he was satisfied, he dried off Noah's face with a towel and began to unwrap a small adhesive bandage for the gash on his head.

Throughout this treatment, they didn't speak. But what they weren't saying in words seemed to be communicated through the small space between them.

As Luke smoothed the bandage against Noah's skin, it was difficult not to be aware of the close proximity of their faces. Luke could feel Noah's hot breath on his cheek; and when he moved slightly back, there was that burning eye contact again.

They both froze, drowning in some unseen energy that sent heart rates souring and made breathing shallow.

"So…" whispered a nervous Noah before clearing his throat. "What is this?"

Luke shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know…"

Their eyes remained fixed together, lips remained inches apart. It was magnetic.

"You're shivering," Luke noted softly.

Noah's Adam's apple visibly bobbed as he swallowed.

"I'm scared." He whispered.

"Of me?" Luke's hands pressed into the bedding either side of him, inches from his hips.

"No…" He cocked his head at Luke and his brow crinkled slightly in consideration. "…of waking up and finding out this," he gestured about. "…isn't real."

"It feels pretty real."

"I feel like I know you."

"Same here." Luke hesitated for a moment before leaning in even closer. "Can I kiss you?"

Noah had hardly begun to nod before Luke was sweeping upward on his knees, still pressing his hands into the bed either side of the younger man.

A fiery whirlwind swarmed though his head and warmed his entire body. He felt Noah's hands cup his neck and his fingers comb through the hair at the back of his head.

He drew Noah's lower lip between his teeth; sucked on the plump juiciness of it; and then used his mouth to pry Noah's lips apart so his tongue could reach inside and taste him.

Noah's own tongue found his. They curled and sparked together with such intensity Luke had to draw back just to catch his breath.

Noah was panting as he gazed at Luke. His lips were full and shiny and his eyes were earnest and wanting. His hands were still cradling the back of Luke's head.

"Can I touch you?" Luke asked. He felt Noah shiver through his fingertips and saw that flash of fear. "I won't hurt you… ever."

Still panting in short breaths, a single tear escaped the inside corner of Noah's right eye, running down the side of his nose, over the small cleft and pooling between his slightly parted lips; mingling in saltiness with the saliva from their kiss.

He was so breathtaking, so vulnerable.

Luke felt compelled to touch Noah coupled with an overwhelming resolve to protect and to love him.

Without a word, Noah gripped the hem of his blue sweater and swept it over his head in one painful, quick movement before letting the top drop to the floor beside Luke.

Tilting his head to one side, Luke leaned in to sweep his eyes over the damage caused by Greg's boot. His hand moved gingerly up Noah's side and he heard Noah gasp as he pressed carefully along each of his bruised ribs, using a technique he learned from his horse-trainer father.

"How often does he do this?" Luke asked, unable to suppress his anger at how anyone could inflict such pain on someone so innocent, so venerable.

"Depends," Noah shrugged. "Less now… since I got older and can hit back."

"Does it hurt? I mean… shit! Of course, it hurts. What I mean is do you think you need to see a doctor?"

Noah shook his head. "No… It's nothing… I've had worse be-"

"Son of a bitch," Luke gritted through his teeth; trying not to think about a much younger Noah cowering in the corner while that mammoth maniac pounded him with his fists or worse.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Noah snorted in disdain. "Who was I going to tell? My sick grandmother or my even sicker uncle who hired the bastard?"

Luke flinched at the sudden mention of Reid. He wondered how much Reid knew of the man he'd allowed into Noah's innocent life. Was he aware of the beatings?

"I've never told anyone," Noah continued. "Well… except for Maddie."

"Maddie?"

"The girl in the theatre?"

"Oh…!" Luke smiled remembering, "The pit bull!"

Noah laughed suddenly, striking a sweet note like some lingering chord to Luke's ears. "I'm not sure she'd appreciate that analogy. She's a really good friend. She made… she makes things easier."

"Then… I like her already."

The eye contact was back. The sexuality positively seared between them. It had never felt like this with Reid.

Luke slid his hand up Noah's smooth velvet-like chest and his fingers found one nipple, already raised and ready from the kiss. He tweaked it just as his lips closed back over Noah's mouth.

Noah emitted a moan that pulsated and traveled with lightening speed to Luke's groin and Luke felt himself harden even more; becoming tight and uncomfortable within his jeans.

He had never wanted another person this much in his life. He thought he might die if he didn't have him.

As they became lost in another magical kiss, the fervor increased until Noah was positively clawing at Luke kneeling before him; stopping the kiss just long enough to draw Luke's own shirt over his head and explore the muscles in his back.

The heat from Noah's fingers blazed through Luke's skin.

Luke pressed forward as he kissed, and eventually he had Noah lying back on the bed. He crawled above him, but didn't lean on him, conscious of his bruised side.

Worried for Noah Luke stopped suddenly, pressing up on his hands and regarding him seriously. "Are you sure? We don't have to…"

"I want to."

Luke almost sighed with relief. If he was honest, he didn't think he could stop now…

"But… I've never…"

Luke wasn't surprised by this, not after all he'd learned about Noah from the private investigator.

"It's okay… we'll go slow."

Luke moved over to turn off the lights and allow the blinds to rise; leaving the couple illuminated softly by the city's night-time glow.

Noah nodded his consent as Luke returned above him. He lifted himself up on his elbows to join Luke's lips in another mesmerizing kiss.

Both their clothes discarded, Luke noted how Noah's body was firm and muscular; but still boyish in a way, soft and supple in many places.

For Luke, it was as if a part of him had always been locked away and Noah was the key.

They embraced in a warming of flesh against flesh, sweaty bodies mingling. Luke stroked him softly; trying to feel not only his physical form but his spirit as well, amazed by how all sensations seemed to jumble together. Enjoying the sounds he made.

How was it possible he had always yearned for him… for this particular person and yet not known it… until now?

Each touch from Noah was pushing Luke to the brink and awakening senses he never knew he had.

Noah seemed to particularly like the feel of Luke's blonde hair and his hands lingered there now before gathering tuffs in tight at the nape of Luke's neck.

His breath tickled Luke's ear and Luke felt a surge of possession that pulsed through him like a warm hot chocolate out in the cold.

Luke ached to take him quickly. But he pushed down the urge, heightening the anticipation.

He rolled on a condom he'd pulled from the bedside drawer and made sure to lubricate it and Noah thoroughly first.

Noah gasped and writhed as the first finger slipped inside, followed by another and a third.

As he prepared him, Luke cupped the back of Noah's right knee with his other hand, getting in position.

"Ready?"

Noah nodded, anxiety showing suddenly on his face.

Luke kissed him deeply first, waiting for him to relax before he entered.

"AARG!" Noah cried out and flinched in pain. "AH!"

Luke gently pressed his fingers against Noah's mouth. "Bite down… bite!"

As Noah's teeth sealed down over his fingers in a breathy and hot death grip, it hurt.

But it was the most pleasurable pain Luke had ever encountered because as Noah experienced the sting of first penetration, Luke had found a way to join him in it.

"Mmph!… Mmph!…Mmph!"

Noah's breathing was loud and heavy as he dealt with the pain; throwing his head back into the pillow and squeezing his right hand into the sheets.

The muscles of his bare arms flexed and swelled at the strain.

But Luke knew better than to withdraw. He kept still over him and waited.

Their other hands interlaced beside them; the back of Noah's thigh pressing into the top of Luke's arm as he pushed Noah's knee back to carefully make room.

Moments later, Luke felt the pressure of Noah's teeth subside from his fingers and relax some.

Very gently he leaned over; lacing Noah's neck in butterfly kisses, reaching his ear and breathing whispered nonsense into him.

He waited for Noah, willing to give him all the time he needed even as the urgent need in himself built stronger by the minute.

It took every ounce of willpower for Luke not to thrust. He couldn't help the small moans of desire from periodically escaping his lips. He felt as though he would explode.

"You feel so good…" Luke whispered to him, withdrawing his fingers from Noah's mouth. "I think I love you."

At that, Noah's head returned to center. His eyes burned a deep blue lust back at Luke. His body bucked under him urging him to move.

Luke wanted nothing more than to pound into him.

But he kept it slow, moving carefully and deeply, watching as the waves of pain on Noah's face turned to ones of desire and pleasure.

"Faster!" Noah suddenly grunted.

Luke didn't need to be told twice. He increased his speed, feeling a rush like nothing on earth consume him. He felt Noah constrict under and around him as he moaned and released between them.

The continual pulls and throbs transferred to the hotness of their joining and spilled Luke over the edge in a feeling of total euphoria.

He groaned loudly more than once before collapsing beside Noah.

His hand pressing against Noah's chest as it rhythmically rose and fell.

Luke looked up into those darkened blue eyes and, for the first time, recognized the love shining back at him.


	8. Chapter 8

Noah watched Luke as he slept on his stomach; motionless and peaceful.

"Luke."

Wasn't it funny how an everyday kind of name could suddenly hold such significance?

Periodically he would rub his hand or his cheek over Luke's back, drawing comfort from it, savoring it. Luke made him feel relaxed, secure for the first time in his life.

Noah couldn't help but dwell on just how much Luke, in such a short period of time, had come to mean to him.

He cared. No! He loved Luke. He wanted and needed Luke. He craved him.

He was trying to hold onto the feeling of what it was like to be that physically connected with Luke.

It was fading now, but he wanted to remember it… Just in case.

After another touch of his fingertips to Luke's face, Luke stirred slightly, smiling and stretching in his sleep. The action was so incredibly beautiful that it stole away Noah's breath and stabbed him with sudden fear.

He was afraid. Not of Luke… but of losing him.

Good things like this didn't happen to Noah Mayer!

Everything had come to pass so quickly between them. He had just given himself for the first time to a complete stranger… and a married one at that!

Sure Luke said he was getting divorced. Noah had no reason to doubt him.

But… what kind of man was his husband? What man would let a guy like Luke walk out his life without a fight?

Aside from the car he drove and this apartment, he really didn't know anything about this Luke Snyder. Let alone how Luke's very presence made him weak at the knees.

Noah was relying totally on his own judge of character. But after all that had happened since he first met this guy, how reliable was that?

He realized then that he couldn't stay the night. He needed time to think; something he couldn't do around Luke. Luke made him lose all sense of control. He made Noah almost forget himself.

Somehow when they were together they fused and almost became one person.

Was that even possible?

He felt open around Luke, exposed; and he didn't think he could resist Luke.

It wasn't that he wanted to… far from it!

But he wanted to figure a few things out before he allowed this fixation - whatever it was - to continue.

He needed to be sure it could survive.

He silently crept out of Luke's bed, grimacing once at the pain in his ribs. He grabbed his clothes before tiptoeing out of the room; and softly closing the door behind him.

After getting cleaned up and dressed in the guest bathroom, he couldn't resist taking one last look at the sleeping Luke. Creeping back into the master bedroom, he leaned down to brush away the hair from the man's forehead before kissing him gently.

He covered Luke's naked body with a blanket and, with great mental difficulty, left the apartment.

...

The long subway ride to Brooklyn left Noah exhausted by the time he reached home.

Seeing no sign of Greg behind the shrubbery, he thought twice about entering the house. But he wanted to check on Juliet. So he pushed past the fear.

The sounds of loud snoring greeted Noah as he walked in the front door. Following the noise, Noah found Greg in a deep sleep on the living room floor.

He sighed with relief. He was safe… at least until morning.

However, as he entered his grandmother's room, what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

Life had evaporated from the space. The room had an airless, empty quality; and worse ever it was quiet… dead quiet.

The usual stop and go sigh of the ventilation machine, evidence of her breathing, had ceased. He knew instantly that she was no longer in that room.

His heart skipped as he approached the bed. She looked as though she was sleeping, her grey curls spilling over the pillow.

Only she wasn't.

He stood there for several moments, swallowing back the lumps in his throat. His legs eventually felt weak; and he sat shakily beside her on the bed.

He gingerly lifted her hand, clasping it between both of his own. He uncapped his left hand and traced his fingers over hers, memorizing every line and wrinkle and dip of it; knowing he would soon never see it again.

Small tear drops began to fall as he lifted that lifeless, cold hand to his cheek and kissed her palm and fingers over and over.

"I met somebody…" It was a pained whisper into her fingers, which he kept pressing between his own. "He's really amazing." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply against the ache in his stomach. "You don't mind right?" He moved his head from side to side against her hand. "I hope you don't mind."

Three small squeaks escaped before he could stop them and he bit down hard on his lip.

"Grams… I need you to tell me what to do. I don't know. I don't know if I can trust this." His body dropped over hers and he sobbed into her chest. "Please… Oh God!"

At some point, he fell asleep with his head on her lap. That's where he stayed until Reid shook him awake.

...

"Hey! Hey you! Moron! How long has she been dead?"

"What?" He was disoriented. He'd dreamed of Luke, of his hands and his voice.

When he jerked awake, he remembered. The pain of it hit him again like being pummeled with bricks.

"How long… has she… been dead?" Reid asked again as if talking to a child.

Noah raised his head, blinking against the bright winter sunlight streaming through the open curtains. He turned his head to stare at her and reached over to run his hand down her cold face. Fresh sobs threatened to overwhelm him again.

She was gone… really gone… and now he was alone.

"Yes hello… Reid Oliver here," Reid was pacing the room while talking on his cell. "I need you to pick up the body… Yes that's right… Juliet Oliver… Yes… Yes, she died last night… Thank you but she was old… Yes… What time?"

Noah stopped listening to him; his eyes were glued to the peaceful face of his grandmother. He was terrified. The thought of the coroner coming and taking her away when all he wanted to do was hold onto her, keep her near.

"What's all the noise, man? Geez!" Greg wandered into the room, squinting and holding the back of his throbbing head.

Ordinarily, Noah would have enjoyed the sight of Greg suffering. But he was starting to feel numb and he welcomed that.

"What's up with you?" Reid asked, sizing up Greg before checking his iPhone for another number.

"Dunno man! Feels like something knocked my head. Don't remember a thing from last night!" he grinned. "Went for a night out with the guys and..."

He stopped when he saw Juliet. "Hey… she dead?"

"Yeah, yeah." Reid held up his hand to quiet him as he raised his phone back to his ear,

"Hello Mr. Pinker? It's Dr Reid Oliver here. My mother has died… Yes… Yes… Thank you… The family is doing just fine… Can you put things into motion please? I'd like the reading conducted as soon as possible."

Noah shook his head. As Reid hung up, his nephew let him have it.

"Gone only a few hours and _that's_ what you're worried about?" he charged. "Don't you care? She's your mother for Christ's sake!"

"It's the circle of life, kiddo. Trust me! I'm a doctor… I know."

"Don't you feel _anything_?" Noah couldn't stop the tears from falling again.

Reid turned his head to one side as he studied his mother's body.

"Of course I feel something, stupid! But the world doesn't stop when one person passes! And I need this estate sorted _ASAP_! Things are a little tight at the moment… which reminds me… I'll be selling the property soon along with the theatre."

"The theatre?" asked a devastated Noah.

"I need the money. I can't afford to wait."

"But…"

"… and I'll need you out of here today."

"What?"

"I told you… I'm selling all the furniture and putting the house on the market as soon as possible. You're a grown man. You can sort yourself out, I'm sure."

...

By noon, Noah was seated amongst his meager possessions on the grass outside the house. Try as he might to plan his next move, he was finding it impossible to get beyond the shock and grief.

Like a zombie he had watched them zip his grandmother into a body bag and cart her away.

Still in shock, he had packed his things; and handed his house key to Reid. Then he'd watched as his uncle locked the front door and drove off in a cab.

He was still sitting there in the cold an hour later, playing with a blade of grass, when Luke drove up.

Noah didn't look up as the footsteps approached him. He couldn't trust himself to keep it together if he did.

"Noah?" Luke's voice was filled with love and concern.

Noah felt instantly guilty for the want he felt; the need to leap up and fall into his arms.

"She's gone," he said simply, still tearing the blade of grass into strips.

"I'm so sorry, Noah. You must really be hurting."

Noah sniffed back the urge to cry, releasing a shuddered breath.

"I want to try and help." Luke continued.

"I don't want to see you anymore. I want you to go, please." Noah literally had to force the words out. He knew how unconvincing he sounded.

"No you don't!"

Noah couldn't help but to look up at him. He was smiling kindly at him.

"It's all my fault."

Luke cocked his head. "Noah, how could this possibly be your fault?"

"I should have been here instead of…" He cut off, shaking his head.

"This could have happened at anytime Noah. You couldn't have been with her every second."

Noah dropped his head down again as Luke spoke. It was easier than looking at his sympathetic eyes.

After another pause Luke asked, "Why are you sitting outside with all this stuff?"

"My uncle kicked me out."

"What?" There was real anger in his voice and it surprised Noah.

"It's okay Luke. I knew he would. I just didn't think he'd do it so quickly."

"Is he still here?" Luke sounded really worried as he glanced around.

"No he left." Noah shook his head, wondering why Luke even cared where his uncle was. "But there's something weird going on."

"How do you mean?"

Noah was once again surprised at how easily he told Luke things. The words just seemed to flow from him before he even thought about it. It was as if Luke held some kind of mystical power over him.

"He said he was short on cash. Funny thing is Reid never had money problems since he got married. Anyway, he wants to sell the house right away along with the…" His voice caught at the thought of losing his safe place.

The theatre was his escape, the movies and the characters therein his friends. Worse than that, the theatre was his grandmother's pride and joy. She would be so heartbroken.

Before he could protest, Luke was seated beside him; drawing Noah's head against his chest. Luke's arms were strong and firm and exactly what he needed. He gave up trying to fight and took what comfort he could.

"Can you help me with something?" Noah asked.

"Anything!"

"I need to break into the house. My grandmother left me something. I didn't want to try getting it while my uncle and Greg were here."

"What is it?" Luke asked interested.

"I don't know. But she told me it would secure my future."

Luke looked back at the house. "Where is Greg?"

"He's gone to work. He works at the theatre during the day."

"Okay. How do you want to do this? Break a window?"

"No need. I left my bedroom window off the latch. When I was younger, I used to sneak in that way all the time to avoid Greg."

Luke grinned at him. "Good thinking Batman!"

Noah couldn't help laughing, "Be careful… calling me Batman kind of makes you Robin!"

"So long as I get to be by your side… I don't care!"

Their eyes fiercely locked as they silently communicated their feelings.

Noah felt his heart start to hammer in that same nervousness he'd felt the night before.

It was Luke who broke the spell.

"Come on! Let's get this over with and then you're coming home with me."

Noah was about to protest.

"No arguments!"

Noah shook his head. "You're very bossy. But okay. Just for now… until I find my own place."

Luke smiled. "Sure."

...

They helped each other over the back fence and found Noah's window. Noah used a tree branch expertly to stick through the crack he'd left open and fully flip the latch.

He watched Luke's back muscles flex as he used both arms to lift himself through the window and tried to keep his mind on the task at hand.

Luke helped to pull Noah up through the window and then followed him through the house.

Noah paused as his hand fell on the doorknob to Juliet's room. He started to tremble as the loss hit him once more.

It was only after Luke placed a warm hand on his shoulder that he found the strength to enter.

The bed where Juliet spent the last years of her life was still unmade. The coroner had removed all the rented respiratory equipment making the room look much bigger.

Noah was suddenly rooted to the floor.

"Hey…" Luke whispered gently, "Take all the time you need."

"I can't believe she's gone. What am I going to do?"

He felt Luke's arms wrap around his waist from behind and Luke laid his head on his back, swaying slightly.

"I can't imagine what it's like for you," Luke whispered.

Noah found himself leaning back into him. He couldn't help but appreciate his presence. It definitely made things a lot easier.

"Can you help me with the bed?" he asked.

Noah pulled up the railing on one side of Juliet's hospital bed, while Luke moved quickly to do the same on the other. Together they pulled it away from the wall.

Noah knelt on the floor and felt along it with his fingertips. He couldn't remember the exact location. But eventually one of the floorboards shifted under his fingers.

He looked around trying to find something to use as leverage.

"Can you pass me that nail file over there?"

Luke looked behind him and spotted the shiny object on the dressing table. He handed it to Noah and Noah used it to lift the board; revealing a hidden space underneath.

Noah had to slip his whole arm inside and move his hand around to find it. But eventually he felt a slip of plastic.

"Think I got it," he said, pulling out a large zippered plastic bag.

"What is it?" asked Luke.

Noah shrugged as he gently laid the hidden treasure on the dressing table. Then with Luke's help, they moved the bed back into place. Soon the room appeared like it had when they first entered.

Taking the discovery from the dressing table, Noah sat on the edge of the bed; unzipped the bag and removed the contents.

He gasped. "Last Will and Testament of Juliet Anne Wilson Oliver (nee Cosgrove)"

It was dated just two days after his grandmother's second and most crippling stroke.

"I don't get it…" Noah whispered as Luke sat beside him. "I thought her lawyer already had her will. Why would she keep a copy here… hidden under the floor boards?"

Luke shook his head perplexed. "Is it possible she changed her will without telling anybody?"

"No idea." His hands had started to shake. All the talk was firing up his grief.

"Here," said Luke softly. "Let me take that for you and let's get out of here for now. We can worry about all this later once you've had a rest. You've got to be exhausted. You were up for most of the night!"

Noah nodded and allowed Luke to lead him back out the house the way they had entered; careful to secure the window.

They loaded all of Noah's belongings into Luke's car and drove back to his apartment.

Noah still wasn't sure whether it was a good idea staying with Luke. But he was way too tired to argue the point that night.

He just wanted to hide away in a darkened room and sleep.

...

**Please let me know if you are enjoying this story. Thanks...**


	9. Chapter 9

Noah was wrong.

Reid did care that his mother was gone. He wasn't totally devoid of emotion. He did suffer a moment or two of loss at her funeral; thinking back to all the times his mother had kissed his cheek or tucked him into bed or read him a story.

She was a good mother. There was never any doubt about that. Even in those bad times after his father's death, when money was really tight, she always found a way to make life easier on her kids.

The problem was when she had turned into one hell of a bitch in her old age; making his life more and more difficult. She judged his every move until their relationship broke down all together.

She always preferred his sister over him. Reid was convinced she wished it was him and not Charlene who died all those years ago.

It was clear Juliet never really loved Reid's father with the same burning passion she held for Charlene's.

After all, it was Ian Wilson's smiling face beaming from practically every surface Juliet could place a photo frame.

Not a picture of Reid's father in sight.

In his mind, she certainly loved the little bastard Noah more than him! She doted on that kid from the moment he was born. It was sickening to watch.

Anyway, now that Reid had suffered through those few minutes of regret and his mother was finally laid to rest, he had other things to worry about... important things.

He'd had taken out a loan for the funeral. He was penniless… never bothered to save a dime. Why would he when his husband was a bottomless pit of dough?

At least Reid had thought it would be bottomless. Dammit! He should have been more careful!

His personal bank account was bone dry. Until Luke kicked him out, Reid emptied it every month on fine dining, silk shirts and expensive shoes. God he missed his old life!

He needed the money from his mother's estate like… yesterday! There were already a handful of potential buyers lined up for the theatre. A bidding war had taken place and the offers were already at least twice the value of the property. He itched for that cash.

Once things were settled he planned to move out of that dump and into a grand apartment all aimed at getting back Luke.

Reid was convinced that Luke loved him still. He just needed to use all his charms to win him over. He'd done it before and Luke, after all, was the forgiving sort.

Even Reid had to admit asking his grieving nephew to leave right after his grandmother's death was a little on the harsh side.

But he had no other option. Why should he take on the responsibility for Noah, anyway?

Besides, the kid was street smart. He was bound to get a decent job in no time and survive just fine.

On that thought he dialed the kid's cell.

"Hello?"

"Noah, it's Reid."

"Yes." The voice was deadpan.

"We need you to come by the house in two hours. The will is being read at 3 sharp!"

Such a long pause followed that Reid wondered if the line had gone dead.

"Why do you need me there?" a shaky Noah finally asked. "We already know she left you everything."

"I don't know! I'm not a fuckin' mind reader, Noah! All I do know is that the lawyer insists you be here!"

"Whatever Reid. I'll be there at 3."

Reid stuck the phone back in his pocket. That kid always had a way of putting him in a bad mood.

However, he was curious about his nephew. Where was the kid staying? He'd arrived at the funeral in a brand new designer suit similar to what Luke always wore. Where had the money coming from for that?

Reid resolved to find out but first he needed to sort everything else out.

...

The real estate agent, shuffling his tape measure and iPad, walked in on Reid in the living room.

"So?" Reid asked.

"I'll need a day to work on some calculations and I'll have a valuation for you by tomorrow."

"What? You can't just give me one now?"

"Not if you want an accurate report." The real estate agent slipped on his coat.

Reid walked him to the door. As he opened it, Attorney Nigel Pinter, appeared, his hand raised; about to knock.

"Afternoon Dr. Oliver. I'm here to do the reading of your mother's will?"

"Yes." Reid said in greeting, "I've been expecting you. Come on in."

The Lawyer squeezed by the exiting realtor.

"Goodbye Dr. Oliver," the realtor said. "My office will be in touch with you tomorrow regarding the valuation."

With barely a nod, Reid closed the door and escorted the lawyer to the living room.

"I'm rather confused. The last time I spoke to you, you said the will was clear cut. I get everything. If that's the case, why did you insist we meet like this and include my nephew?"

"Apologies Dr. Oliver," Pinker answered. "Something has since come to light that…"

Before he could continue they were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. It was Noah.

"You're late." Reid spat, eying his nephew critically as Noah removed his coat. Was that a new shirt?

"Well geez sorry, some of us have to take a bus, you know!" Noah countered.

Even as he fingered a pair of subway tokens in his own pocket, Reid didn't let on he was now one of those people too. He couldn't even afford a damn cab anymore.

"Could we get started please?" asked the lawyer. "I'm afraid I only have an hour and then I must be off to another appointment."

"Yes." Reid answered, muttering "finally" under his breath.

"Anyway, as I was saying before the arrival of Mr. Mayer, some new information has come to light regarding your mother's estate."

"Come to light?' Reid asked with irritation, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Mr. Mayer sent me a document that changes everything."

"Mr… Noah sent YOU a document?"

"Yes, two days after your mother's sad death."

Reid actually felt the blood rush from his head. "What?"

"It would seem Juliet Oliver had a second will drawn up shortly after the stroke that rendered her bed ridden," Pinker said holding up the document in his hand. "This will is valid and therefore negates the first will."

Reid glared at Noah. What had this kid done?

Noah shifted uncomfortably and held Reid's gaze with nervous apprehension.

"I, Juliet Ann Oliver, of sound mind, do hereby bequeath my house and all property therein held to my nephew Noah Winston Mayer, son of..."

"Son of a bitch!" Reid lunged at Noah.

But after years of learning to dodge Greg's unwanted advances, Noah quickly moved out of his uncle's reach.

"You!" Reid shook his fist at his nephew. "You did this!"

The lawyer rapidly stepped in between Reid and Noah.

"Dr. Oliver, I have solid evidence your nephew was unaware of the contents of this will. It was sealed on its arrival to my office and I've spoken to Brendan Anderson, your mother's lawyer at the time. He confirmed your nephew was not involved in any way. Your mother acted alone."

"The theatre… what about the theatre?"

It was Reid's last hope. He already felt the floor opening up beneath him.

The lawyer scanned the document. "Ownership passes to Mr. Mayer. Your mother named her grandson as the sole heir of her entire estate."

"Why would she do this? She wouldn't have done this in her right mind! I'll contest it!"

"I'd advise against that, Dr. Oliver," said Pinker looking over his bi-focals at Reid and then at the document in his hand. "Your mother made provisions guarding against that. I'm afraid any attempt to contest her wishes would be thrown out by a judge."

Reid fell back into the sofa. "Where? Where did you find it?"

"She told me she had something hidden under her bed," a staggered Noah answered. "I didn't know what it was. She said I should retrieve it after she passed. So I did."

Was the kid for real? Was he innocent or just playing a really clever game? Was he really that smart as to orchestrate and manipulate the situation to his advantage?

A part of Reid wanted to believe Noah had somehow played a part in it all.

But his instinct, not often wrong, was telling him the kid was on a level.

The lawyer clicked closed the latches on his briefcase.

"Well, my job here is done. I'll file this at the courthouse. If you have any further questions or you should like a copy, just contact my assistant at the office. In the meantime, Mrs. Oliver left you each a letter."

He handed separate white envelopes to Reid and Noah.

"Again gentlemen, my deepest sympathy for your loss."

Reid would have given an arm and a leg to read what she had written to his snot-nosed, winy little nephew.

Noah got up to follow the lawyer, pulling on his coat and telling his uncle, "You can stay here for now if you like."

Reid seethed at the smirk of satisfaction on his face.

So… the kid didn't want to stay in the house?

Finding out the reason behind that; and the source of his obvious good fortune had suddenly become Reid's main priority. That and winning back the love, support and funds provided by his little honey of a husband. A divorce was now certainly out of the question!

The moment he heard the front door close after his nephew, Reid tore open his letter.

_Dear Reid,_

_If you are reading this, then I am dead and you are most likely confused and angered by my need to secretly rewrite my will in favor of Noah. I hope you are not too disappointed. _

_Please understand darling that this is in no way a dismissal of my love for you, my son. I can see that you have done well for yourself. Your future is secure and you __have no need of my meager portfolio. _

_However, Noah is still young; too young really to be left alone in this world. I regret that deeply. _

_Hopeful__ly by leaving him this small sum he can find his own way in life. _

_Your loving mother,_

_Juliet _

_..._

**If you are enjoying this story please let me know.**


	10. Chapter 10

Luke always felt his cheeks turn bright crimson whenever Noah caught him looking; and yet he couldn't help it.

It didn't matter whether Noah was reading or writing at the dining table or watching television on the wide screen or even just hanging out in the same room. Luke felt compelled to stare at him.

Just spending a few moments in Noah's company resulted in Luke losing all ability to reason. He felt like such a goof and would say things that turned his ears beet red, just like a schoolboy.

He was indescribably, unexplainably in love with one Noah Mayer.

When Noah's enticing lips weren't sealed to his, Luke would be wishing they were.

When Noah spoke in that deep baritone voice, Luke would watch his tongue and wish it was curled to his.

When his hands smoothed the pages of the book he was reading, Luke would get goose bumps imagining those same hands rubbing against him.

When Noah smiled in that opulent way, Luke wished he had a camera so that he could snap every one of those smiles and make a pocket-sized album he'd carry around in his jacket to look at whenever he missed Noah.

And miss him he did; every single minute of every single hour; whether while working at World Wide or waiting for him to return from the movie theatre at night.

Noah dominated his thoughts in ways Reid never had.

Luke was definitely and properly in love.

He was beyond scared that very first morning when he woke up to find Noah gone from the apartment. It nearly sent him into a panic attack; imagining worst case scenarios.

"Did I move too quickly? Did I scare Noah away for good?"

Jumping to the conclusion that Noah had gone back to Brooklyn, Luke had scrambled out of bed and grabbed his jeans; intent on driving over to Juliet's house.

But his attendance at an important meeting at World Wide had taken priority. It was the most excruciating two-hour meeting during which he heard nothing and contributed even less!

He spent the time smoothing the thumb of one hand over the teeth-marks left on the other; a thrilling reminder of what had become the most incredible moment in his life.

...

Luke's heart had positively broken at the sight of the sad young man and his pitiful, small pile of worldly possessions on the front steps of Juliet's house. Noah's eyes were bloodshot and swollen from crying over the loss of the loving person who raised him.

If Reid had shown up then, Luke would have killed him without hesitation. What kind of heartless person was he to throw a family member out of the house right after losing a loved one?

After Luke brought Noah back from his grandmother's house and put him to bed, he'd spent hours watching Noah sleep. The young man would wake periodically and sob in Luke's arms over the loss of Juliet. Luke held him close; kissing his hair and smoothing his cheeks, whispering soft words of comfort.

That first time they made love was so intense; there was no time for lingering kisses or examination of each other's bodies. They were both consumed with an urgent desire to immediately douse the overwhelming heat between them.

But the second time they made love was slow and so much more deliberate. It started off with tender kisses and removal of clothing item by item; followed by a full scan of each other with feeling up legs and kissing between thighs; hips rocking forward to deepen the contact.

But when Luke pressed his body closer and touched the source of Noah's arousal, that's when he caught that flash of fear; that slight jerking away from him. It was only as they locked eyes that Noah began to relax once more; keeping Luke in his sights like a security blanket.

So as they lay in the afterglow of their love making, Luke had to ask. He turned to lie on his side and pulled at Noah's arm, encouraging him to do the same. They lay there face to face as he began.

"Noah?"

Noah smiled serenely; with a look so full of contentment and trust Luke almost backed out.

But he could not. "I need you to tell me something."

Noah reached up and rubbed his forefinger along Luke's lip, watching as the plumpness returned after each press. "What's that?"

Luke took a deep breath. "I want you tell me who hurt you."

Noah's eyes quickly filled with intense dread and shot up to meet Luke's in shock.

"Was it Greg?"

The young man's entire body trembled at the unexpected question. He shook his head and tried to get up to leave.

But Luke pulled him back down.

"Don't go…" Luke implored. "Stay…_talk_ to me."

Not once looking back at Luke, Noah firmly said, "I need to go to the bathroom!"

Luke had a grip on Noah's wrist. "Noah…"

"I need to go to the bathroom! Please let me go!"

Luke released Noah's wrist all the while kicking himself for ruining such a magical moment. He lay there seeped in worry wondering what to do.

However a few minutes later, Noah crawled back into bed; spooning Luke from behind and pressing his cheek into the back of Luke's neck.

"I don't want to talk about it," he pleaded. "I just want to lie here in the moment with you."

"Noah…?"

"Please Luke!"

Luke deeply sighed but he'd let it go for the time being.

He tried again of course. A few times. But Noah always found a way to avoid the question or skirt the issue. And Luke didn't want to push him too hard.

Because now, a week after Juliet's funeral, Luke had become increasingly fearful, not of Noah, but of the very real possibility of losing him.

He knew he would have to tell Noah the truth about being married to Reid. But it never seemed like the right time.

The guy was still mourning and deeply hurting. Luke felt he simply couldn't add to that.

Or was he just making excuses?

Either way, the longer he left it the worse it was destined to become.

He already felt terrible about making up some lame excuse not to accompany him to Juliet's funeral when Noah really could have used his support or to the reading of her will.

To see Reid's face when he learned Juliet had completely cut him out in favor of Noah would have been a sight to behold for sure!

But how could Luke tell Noah? What did he say?

"Oh, by the way babe, I'm actually your uncle by marriage?"

And there was the secret Noah refused to share with him; some kind of hidden pain that haunted Luke. He desperately wanted to help, if Noah would only open up to let him.

But they were just getting to know each other. Maybe Luke was expecting too much too soon.

...

"Okay, Gone with the Wind or Lawrence of Arabia?"

Noah loved old films. Luke knew absolutely nothing about them. But they did discover a common ground since Luke had read most of the books on which the movies were based.

Besides, most of the time they talked just to hear each other's voices. The important stuff was communicated through looks and touch.

"Um…" Luke had to think about that one. "I don't know to be honest. Both epic! I like the romance of Gone with the Wind. But then Lawrence of Arabia has all those great fight scenes."

"Yeah." Noah agreed. "That question wasn't very fair of me… I also struggle to pick between those two."

"Okay, new question…" Luke had his head on Noah's chest and he ran his fingers lightly over Noah's stubble before asking, "First… who are the two leads again?"

"Clark Gable and Peter O'Toole."

"Oh yes… Okay. My question is… Which one?"

"Which one what?"

"Which one would you sleep with?"

Noah giggled. "I only want to sleep with you."

"Aw…" Luke rolled over him to kiss Noah and enjoyed how Noah's face lit up when he did. "Let's just say I'm not in the picture."

"Um…" Noah considered. "It's hard. O'Toole has those really intense blue eyes…"

"Kind of like yours?"

"Mmm." Noah hummed as Luke kissed him again. "…and Gable has such a sexy smile…"

"So? Which one?"

Noah sighed playfully, "I give up! I can't choose! Both I guess."

"Greedy!" Luke laughed and stretched his hand down to the soft skin on the side of Noah's waist, a particularly sensitive Mayer spot.

"No!" Noah yelped, cottoning on to his motives and starting to laugh before Luke had even touched him there. "Luke!"

They laughed loudly and rolled about on the rug as Luke tickled him.

"Stop! Stop! Please! Okay… Okay…!"

Luke silenced him with an exploitative kiss, taking advantage of his loss of breath to pin him down by his wrists and push him hard into the floor with his body.

When he came up, he was shocked at the sudden panic on Noah's face and he immediately released Noah's wrists and moved back from him.

The alarm in Noah's eyes turned almost seamlessly to shame and he moved to sit with his back up against the couch. After a minute, he banged his head back once in frustration and hugged his knees into his chest.

"Talk to me… _please_ Noah."

"Why?" came the bitter response. "Are you some kind of an expert now?"

"Come on Noah, I'm just trying to help. I'm just trying to understand what he did to you."

"What do you know about what he did to me?"

"I know he hurt you physically, I know that. I've seen it for myself. But I also know there's more to it. I really don't care about what that is, I only care about what it's doing to you. It's always there, right below the surface whenever I touch-…"

"Stop! Okay… stop!" he put his hands over his ears to block out Luke's insistence.

"I can't just sit back and watch how much it hurts you and do nothing. You can't ask me to do that, Noah."

"You don't understand."

"Then make me… I want to know."

"You want to know?" He was getting angry now. "Really? You want to hear about him sticking his hand down my pants. Is that what you want to know?" The words blasted from Noah like bullets.

He instantly stormed off for the bathroom, leaving a shell-shocked Luke on the floor.

Luke knew it was true. He had known all along. He'd seen it written in the back of Noah's soft eyes like some seared branding.

But to actually hear Noah admit it out loud like that was devastating.

He heard Noah splashing his face with water as he approached the en-suite off his bedroom. When Noah came out, he sat on the edge of the bed and put his forehead in the palms of his hands.

Looking up - his eyebrows darker now from the water and his eyes bloodshot with unshed tears - he gazed deeply at Luke, silently communicating as seemed so natural between them.

"I tried to make him stop… But he was too strong… I was just a kid…"

"Noah," Luke's breath shuddered. "Did he ever…?"

"No… No!" Noah shook his head definitely. "It never got that far… not that he didn't try."

Luke sat next to him and used a forefinger to gently push his black curls from his forehead.

"Noah does Re-" He prayed Noah didn't hear the slip. "Does your uncle know? Does he know everything about Greg?"

Noah shook his head. "I don't think so."

"I'm so sorry Bubby."

"I'm better now…"

"Yeah?"

Noah took Luke's hand. "…now you're here…"

Luke responded with a deep kiss to Noah's fingers. "Same here. I'm better now you're here, too."


	11. Chapter 11

The blue vein in Greg's right bicep popped up through his skin as the muscle strained against the 80kg weight he was lifting on his third set of bench presses.

That new brand of anabolic steroid Marty picked up for him worked like a treat. He felt like superman and looked the part too!

He knew by the way the guys and girls in the gym turned their heads to check him out as he walk past. Hell, he liked to watch himself walk past in the mirrors.

He was a stud. No question! He'd fuck himself if he could. He grinned at the thought!

The hand weight loudly clanked as he heaved it back into place, pleased at how he no longer needed a spotter for the 80kgs. Pretty soon he'd be bench pressing 100 alone, too.

He used a towel to wipe the dripping sweat from his brow and his shoulders. A side effect of the drugs, the excessive sweating, was a small price to pay for perfection.

As he got up to move onto the next set of equipment, a man backed into him. Like some red dragon, Greg immediately reeled quickly on the guy; flattening him to the floor and raising his fist up in the air stopping short of breaking the guy's jaw.

"Please! Please!" the man squeaked, holding his arm over his eyes in fright.

"SHIT!" Greg looked around and sighed with relief that this corner area was empty. The last thing he needed was to get banned from another gym! This one was already miles out of his way.

The weedy guy beneath him looked like Bambi caught in headlights. Greg almost chuckled as he lifted off of him and pulled him up.

"Watch where you walk next time. Mac! And you keep this to yourself, you hear!"

The relieved man nodded and scurried off as fast as his legs could take him.

Greg hissed through his teeth and took his position on the rowing machine.

Sudden and unreasonable outbursts of anger along with physical attacks on other people were just two more side effects of the drugs.

"It feels so good to punch someone!"

Greg was going to end up in prison if he wasn't careful.

But the adrenaline had to be released somehow. He was wound up so tight sometimes; woe to the person who got in his way when he hadn't had his full workout.

In fact, he was tripping so high today he thought he might have to jog home.

Home now included Reid. The man moved back into his mother's house shortly after his husband kicked him out.

That was unfortunate.

But what was even more unfortunate was that little shit, who had somehow maneuvered the chess pieces to fall in his favor.

Imagine getting the old lady to change her will at the last minute like that! Sly! Who knew the wimp even had it in him!

Now there was no way of knowing how much longer the twerp would allow them to stay in the house… the house that Noah now owned!

Greg wanted to pummel him! Actually, he wanted to fuck him first… then pummel him!

But, it was vital he didn't lose it around Reid.

After all, Reid was his meal ticket.

Reid who now had nothing. Great! What had he just spent seven years slaving away in that crummy theatre for then?

To end up with nothing? Fuck that!

The old lady finally croaks, clearing the way… and now this?

He knew Reid had given up the idea of contesting the will to concentrate on reconciling with Snyder.

Even though a reconciliation had a snowball's chance in hell; it could take weeks, months even, Greg figured.

He didn't have that kind of time! He had more than one loan-shark snapping at his heels, demanding instant payment of his gambling debts.

It was only a matter of time before one of these ruthless men had him ambushed; breaking his legs, cutting out his tongue or worse…

No, the quickest and easiest solution to his problem was to get rid of the kid. With Noah gone, the estate would automatically revert back to Reid.

Then Reid would set them up in a new house and they could continue to fuck like rabbits. Yeah! He loved to fuck that tight little ass!

He completed his reps on the rowing machine and checked his watch.

If he wanted to run home he'd have to leave the gym now. He told Reid he'd be back by 8 p.m. with food. He'd have to stop and grab a takeaway on the way down.

Reid hated to be kept waiting, especially where food was concerned.

And Greg had pressing business to attend to first.

He showered, walking naked around the change rooms, making maximum effort to show off his physic to the jealous and (for some) horny guys in there. It was his favorite part of a workout.

He threw on a tight little number that he knew showed off his defined muscles, slung his duffle over his shoulder and made for the exit.

A couple of blocks from the gym stood a real dive bar called the Blackbird Saloon. He'd walked past it a few times before but never had any reason to enter. It had definitely seen more aesthetic days and Greg couldn't think of a better name for it.

Blackbird conjured up images of darkness and graves, cloaked figures and death. Yip, walking into the place definitely gave you the creepy sensation you might not walk back out again!

It was the perfect place to conduct this type of deal, already filled to the brim as it was with unspeakable secrets and schemes. Should they be overheard, which in itself was highly unlikely, there wasn't a patron in the place who would remember what they said or even remember having seen them together at all!

It was a place of criminal anonymity.

Greg stopped for a moment at the door. There was still time to back out, he told himself, but then shook the thought off and crossed over the threshold.

The darkened interior stank of smoke, unwashed bodies and stale beer. He couldn't wait to make the deal and get the hell out of there.

He sat in the corner booth, right under a large green chrome spotlight. He'd been directed by phone to take that particular booth.

He ordered a beer from the quirky looking barmaid and waited, checking his watch for fear he ran overtime and failed to get home before Reid. Greg didn't want him getting cranky. There was nothing worse than a cranky or rather crankier Reid.

A quick scan of the darkness revealed only two other patrons, both of whom looked like they'd been there for a very long time.

The creepy man he was meeting sat opposite him so quickly it was as though he appeared out of thin air, like the cat in Alice in Wonderland. He had a similar wide sharp-toothed grin too. He rubbed at his whitening stubble, eying Greg critically.

For a long moment, he simply glared at Greg with that sinister smile, making him nervous. It was few people who could make Greg nervous.

The man was pale, with white hair to match, almost ghost like.

"Heard you have an itch you can't scratch and needs somebody to take care of it for ya!"

Greg nodded.

"Well you pay me the right price and I eliminate your problem. That simple, man."

"How much?"

"Five grand now and another five on completion." He chewed heavily on a wad of tobacco, puffing out his cheek.

Greg hadn't told Reid. But the previous weekend he'd won 12 grand for finishing second in an iron man competition. He should have come first but the winner cheated… Go figure!

Anyway, this sum was far from enough to pay off the sharks. But Greg figured he could more than triple it by investing it in this little venture.

Risky yes, but with great reward. And Greg was nothing if not a gambling man.

"I'll get you the money. What else do you need from me?"

"Name, photo, times and the places he hangs out. It's a he, ain't it?"

Greg nodded. "I'll put something together for you."

"Now listen up! This is the last time I'm gonna mention this. Once you go down this road, there ain't no coming back! I get caught, you get caught! You get caught and you don't know me! That's how it works, you dig?"

Greg felt a small droplet of sweat fall from his brow. Perspiration soaked his armpits and his back. But he nodded all the same.

"Okay then! Great doing business with ya! I'll be in touch to pick up the info and payment. Just one more question. When do you want this done by?"

"As soon as you're paid," Greg ordered. "The sooner the better."

The spine-chilling man nodded and left the booth, whistling oddly to himself. Greg released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

It was a shame to waste a hot-looking kid like Noah. Greg wondered then whether he could arrange to have a taste of him first.

God but he wanted a real go at that kid!

But it would be too risky. He couldn't afford to be linked to the killing… no way no how! He was planning a life of luxury with Reid, not to rot in some damn cold jail cell!


	12. Chapter 12

_My beautiful grandson_

_From__ the moment you arrived on this earth you have been my little ray of sunshine._

_The loss of your mother nearly crushed the life out of me. But it was made so much lighter by your presence. _

_You were a tiny babe, an absolute bundle of happiness, my treasure. Such a good child, who has grown into a handsome young man._

_You've__ been nothing but a pleasure and a pride to me, Sugar. My only regret is that I will not live long enough to see what you make of your life._

_But whatever that may be I know you will be successful because you put your whole heart into everything you do. _

_I know that you don't share a close relationship with Reid._

_Indeed, my own relationship with him has grown strained over the years; and I'm sorry to add to that tension by changing my will and leaving everything to you rather than to him._

_I k__now that he would object body and soul to my plan so I've kept the whole business to myself. _

_I don't have much,__ Noah. But what I have might help you to find your place in the world._

_Don't cry too long for your old Grams Sweetheart! Although I'm sad to be leaving you I am ready to leave this world. _

_Who knows? I might just run into Greta Garbo or Judy Garland on the other side._

_Your ever loving Grams_

_PS… I hope someday you find a man to love you the way you deserve to be loved._

_..._

Noah had read the letter so many times that the corners and edges were now creased and wrinkled, some of the ink blotched and smudged by his tears.

But despite his sadness the letter made him feel better in so many ways.

His grandmother was content when she died. He could hear her light-hearted voice in his head as he read it and more than that, she knew.

Of course, he shouldn't have been surprised by that.

He looked up and spotted Luke watching him from the doorway as he leaned against the frame in that relaxed way of his.

"Hey…"

"Hi." Luke replied with a soft smile, entering the room and sitting next to him on the end of the bed. Noah leaned back into Luke's hand as he rubbed Noah's back, "Thinking about her again?"

Noah nodded.

"Is it getting easier?"

"Yeah. Having this…" he raised the letter in his hand, "helps a lot. So do you."

Luke kissed Noah's temple. "I'm glad." Changing the subject Luke asked, "So, what are your plans for today? I have to leave for work in a few minutes."

"I need to spend some time at the library in Brooklyn. I have an assignment due at the end of the week. I'll most likely stay there all day. But I'll catch up with you here before I head to the theatre for my shift."

Luke nodded. "Have you thought anymore about what you want to do? With the theatre and the house I mean?"

"I'm not really ready to deal with that yet. It means…"

"Talking to Greg?"

"And Reid."

"I know."

Luke drew Noah into a warm hug and Noah closed his eyes, pressing his lips to Luke's shoulder blade.

"How is Reid?" Luke asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… with you? What's your relationship like?"

"Indifferent." Noah was quick to answer. "He's never given me the time of day. He'll talk to me if we run into each other or he has to, but nothing more than polite greeting. You know?"

Luke nodded.

"When I first realized I was gay…?" Noah offered a small sarcastic laugh as he sat back. "I hated it! I didn't want to have one single thing in common with him."

"So it was just you and your grandmother really?"

"Yeah." said Noah blowing out a deep sigh. "You know once there was this weekend school history trip to . I really wanted to go. But I couldn't ask Grams for the money. I knew she didn't have it. But when that Friday morning came, she made me pack a bag. When I got to school I was booked on that trip!"

Luke smiled and Noah returned it, remembering. Then the smile faded.

"She spent every night for three months cleaning a neighbor's house to repay the money they loaned her for the trip. Three Months!" he sniffed, shaking his head. "Just so that I could go on a stupid two-day tour!"

"Noah… she loved you."

Luke suddenly grew nervous, like he had something more to say.

"What is it?" a concerned Noah asked.

"I… I want you to know…"

"Yes?" Noah prompted.

"This is gonna sound crazy but… but I need you to know…" He took Noah's hand in his, watching how their fingers fit together. "I love you too." He lifted his eyes. "I'm in love with you."

Noah's breath caught. Luke had uttered those words before in the height of passion. But never out in the open like this.

"You hardly know me."

Luke smiled. "I told you it would sound crazy!"

Noah laughed even as he sniffed back his remaining tears.

"…but it's true." Luke finished, watching him expectantly.

Noah lifted a palm and ran it down Luke's cheek. It was true for him, too. He knew that. He felt it fluttering around inside his heart every time he looked at Luke, every time they made love. He just wasn't ready to say the words.

He didn't know why or what was holding him back; maybe that small part of him that believed their fledgling relationship too good to be true.

So instead of speaking he leaned over and kissed Luke gently on the lips.

"I've got to get to work. See you later?" Luke asked hopefully as they pulled apart.

"I'll be here."

...

As predicted, Noah's assignment on the human existential predicament through the ages was a tough one and finding the information he needed from the millions of books at his disposal was slow going.

Much of the finer detail lay hidden deep within passages from old texts. Some of the books were so ancient they were falling apart and Noah had to ask the librarian to help him.

Other students, he knew, wouldn't bother with the library. All the information could be found with the click of a mouse button; stored somewhere within the vast networks of cyberspace.

But Noah preferred the old-fashioned method. His brain seemed to absorb far more information this way.

Besides… at least his assignment wouldn't sound like the other students, who took the easier way out.

By 4 p.m., Noah started rubbing his eyes, the strain really beginning to show from analyzing all the data from the mountain of books, piles of pages, and from the glare of a computer screen.

He decided it was enough for the day. He could return in the morning to continue his work. He yawned loudly and stretched, feeling a few tight knots click in his back as he did so. He packed up his belongings and saved his work onto a flash drive.

The icy air was refreshing after spending the day inside the stuffy library. He took in a deep breath of it as he started the short walk to the bus stop. But he was brought to a halt when he heard a car horn blow and a man in a black Mercedes beckoned him over.

Noah looked about but he was the only person around.

"Me?" he asked with a frown, pointing up at his own chest.

The man nodded. Noah warily wandered over.

"Noah Mayer?" the driver asked.

"Yes."

"My name is Frank. Mr. Snyder asked me to drive you home."

Home? For a minute his stomach did a jump at that. Was he ready to call Luke's place home? He had already been staying there for longer than he planned. He didn't want to be reliant on Luke. He wanted to look after himself, find a job and get his own place.

Were they really ready to officially _live_ together?

From the start, Luke's voice had resonated with him. It was instant, that deep understanding between them. There was an unspoken connection so comfortable and beautiful and effortless. Noah was completely blown away by the feelings between them, but also overwhelmed by the whole series of events.

There were still so many unanswered questions about Luke. Questions he knew he should ask, but dare not… at least for the moment.

Like why they'd met in that bizarre circumstance in the first place? What had Luke been doing that morning in a strange neighborhood, dressed the way he was? And how was it that he seemed to know everything about Noah?

"Oh." Noah stupidly muttered to the driver and then shook his head. "Okay… um… but I need to stop off somewhere first. Is that okay?"

The man nodded. "Whatever you want, sir."

Sir? Noah expelled a long and nervous breath through his mouth as he climbed into the back seat. Nobody had ever before referred to him as sir.

He directed the driver to the theatre. It seemed a little crazy to go all the way back to Manhattan, just to come all the way back out again.

But Noah really wanted to see Luke before work. He hated being away from him for too long. Besides, if he went to work right away he'd be early and then he'd have to run into Greg. No thank you!

Since his grandmother's death, Maddie had kindly agreed to handle the theatre shift change with Greg every night. That way Noah didn't have to face him.

He dreaded what the man would do to him since Noah now held all the cards as far as his livelihood and living arrangements were concerned. Noah knew he'd have to deal with this issue at some point. He just wasn't ready to think about all of that.

It wasn't the theatre Noah was headed for now anyway, but rather his mailbox at the post office branch across from the theatre. He hadn't checked it since his grandmother's death and he wanted to be sure there hadn't been any assignment changes.

Unlocking the box, he pulled out a light envelope; stuffed it inside his rucksack and swung it over his shoulder. He didn't want to keep the driver waiting.

He had just inserted one leg into the car when his eyes locked with those of his uncle, watching him critically from the theatre entrance across the street. His expression puzzled Noah.

Was it shock? Yes, he thought so, maybe more. A strange mixture of shock and... anger?

Whatever it was, it was definitely more emotion than Noah had ever seen his uncle express. It scared him a little.

Not wanting to hang around and find out, Noah simply bobbed his head toward Reid in acknowledgement and swiftly sat back in the car, closing the door.

"Next stop…" sang the friendly driver. "Mr. Snyder's apartment."

...

When he got back to Luke's, Noah felt tired. As strange as it had been for him to be escorted by private car, he was grateful to Luke for sending it. He wondered how he was going to get through an entire shift at the theatre.

He dumped his rucksack on the dining table; and before he even removed his coat, riffled through the bag until he found the letter from the school. He slugged back a quick glass of water before tearing the flap open and withdrawing the thin slip of paper inside.

Noah frowned at the receipt in his hand. It was dated a few days before his grandmother's death for $2,150 – paid in full.

Surely it must be an administration error?

Then he noted the credit card details in the bottom right hand corner of the receipt. Mr. Oliver.

Although the card said Mr. instead of Dr., there was only one person it could be. Had Reid paid the bill? How was that even possible? How would Reid even know about his studies?

He'd worked really hard to keep his studies a secret, especially from Greg. And even if Reid did know, why would he care enough to settle the fee? Reid had certainly never shown any such interest in Noah before now.

As a frowning Noah continued to study the receipt, the doorbell rang.

"Hey Luke…" he began as he opened the door. "…did you forget your keycard?"

"What the FUCK kind of game are you playing?" The tone was fierce.

Noah's head jerked up from the slip of paper he was still examining to come face to face with his irate uncle.

Whatever had incensed Reid had achieved the seemingly impossible; somehow cracking the carefully-guarded calm and collected shell that usually characterized his uncle.

"Reid…?"

"Is this some kind of joke, you little shit?" Reid yelled. "How long have you been planning this? How long have you planned on stealing my life?"

Noah stood utterly flabbergasted. His mouth gaped open as he shook his head.

Reid was royally pissed off, putting Noah completely on edge. He had never seen Reid so devoid of his cool.

"What's the matter?" Noah innocently asked.

"What's the matter? WHAT'S. THE. MATTER?" Reid's grey eyes shot daggers at him, and then to his shock, his uncle used both hands to push him backward into the apartment. "You're riding around in HIS corporate car?"

Another hard push.

"You're living in HIS place?"

Push!

"And you ask ME, what's the matter?"

"I... I don't understand. Why are you here? How did you find me?"

Noah felt completely lost. His uncle was furious at him; and he had no idea why.

"Why are you so angry?" Then fingering the slip of paper in his hand caused Noah to change course. "Wait… can I ask you… why did you pay for my courses?"

Noah held up the receipt for Reid to see.

There was a moment when Reid simply looked at him blankly and he was just about to speak again when Luke walked in on them.

The expression on Luke's face at the spectacle of Reid and Noah standing together in his apartment was one Noah would never forget. Luke temporarily froze, looking just like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

He also looked absolutely devastated and Noah felt an urge to comfort him. But for what?

"Luke…" Noah began; horrified that Luke should be drawn into a family dispute right in the middle of his living room floor. "I'm so sorry. My uncle followed me here."

Noah looked between Luke and Reid before settling on Luke, whose hazel eyes were welling up with tears.

The longest moment passed before a pale Luke turned to Reid, "What are you doing here? How did you even get up here?"

''I followed him.'' Reid nodded toward Noah. "It wasn't that hard to convince security of my identity!"

"Luke?" a worried Noah interrupted. "What is it? Are you okay?"

He was so focused on Luke that it took Noah a moment before he really noticed Reid's demeanor.

A look of comprehension was building and crossing Reid's features. His uncle's head moved back and forth between the two of them.

Then suddenly Reid smirked, as he always did whenever he knew he was right. A realization now adorned his features, and although the anger was still evident, it simmered to be replaced by smugness.

"Oh… I see…"

"Reid…" It was more than a whisper from Luke; rather it was a wounded plea.

Noah locked questioning eyes with Luke and read a profound sense of fretfulness there. He felt large stones forming in the pit of his stomach.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Luke swallowed small gulps of air as he returned Noah's mystified gaze.

"Oh…" Reid continued, laughing to himself. "I get it now. The kid doesn't know, does he?"

''Doesn't know what?" Noah asked.

"Please…" Luke begged, shaking his head as he turned it back to Reid. Tears started to fall, forming glistening paths down his cheeks.

Reid cocked his head at Luke before turning to saunter over to where a confused Noah stood. He snatched the receipt out of Noah's hands and examined it closely.

Another smile crept over his lips as he again locked eyes with Luke.

Agonized, Luke shook his head at Reid once more. "No…"

But Noah could see Luke was resigned to the inevitable. Whatever that was.

Noah sensed something strange going on between the two men; something he wasn't privy to. It made him nervous… very nervous. He had an unbelievably strong urge to flee; wrestling with wanting to know what lay between his uncle and Luke and not knowing.

"I didn't pay your college expenses, nephew," Reid said matter-of-factly, enjoying himself as he waltzed over to where Luke stood.

The eye contact Luke held with Reid broke as his brown orbs were focused… begging back on Noah.

An ice cold snake curled its way around Noah's neck and a shiver ran down his spine.

This was it… that moment when the picture of perfection they had created together shattered into so many broken shards of glass.

"No," Reid continued, his voice laced in acrimony. "I didn't pay it."

He slammed the slip of paper and his hand flat against Luke's chest, so hard as to send the blonde back a step. ''Your uncle did!''

A wrecked Luke stood there with both hands up to his breast; the receipt crumpled inside them.

It took Noah only a moment. None of it made any sense at all until he saw the truth, clear as day, in Luke's dark eyes. The force struck like a bomb exploding in his head.

Terror gripped him as the pieces fell cruelly into place like the colored squares of a Rubix Cube.

He'd been duped! He'd been used!

He took a step back from Luke.

"No!" Luke yelped desperately. But Noah was already moving toward his backpack.

He grabbed it quickly and headed for the door.

"No, no, no… Please! Wait!"

Luke's frantic pleas faded as Noah slammed the apartment door and took off down the corridor toward the elevator; his vision clouded by an avalanche of tears.

He repeatedly pressed the down arrow button as if firing a rapid-fire machine gun. "Come on! Come on!" he cried, hearing an apartment door open.

Desperate to get out of the building, Noah saw the exit sign for the nearby stairwell and ran to it. He flew down the steps two at a time while choking back the emotional pain.


	13. Chapter 13

He'd lost him. This was the end; the finality Luke had been dreading all along. Noah would never trust him again!

He pressed both hands and his forehead into the door through which the most remarkable young person he'd ever met had just disappeared, perhaps forever.

There was no use going after him. What could he say? How could he possibly fix it?

If it wasn't for the door's support, he'd have buckled by now. Luke could no longer feel his legs or any other part of his body for that matter. The only thing he could feel was an excruciating ache in his very core.

And clouding Luke's vision was the image of Noah, the fear in those incredible blue eyes now focused not on Greg but on him.

That fragile trust Luke had spent weeks building was shattered.

"What have I done?" Luke whispered through his teeth.

He took a deep breath that burned its way through him and turned from the door to face his estranged husband.

"Why?" a now trembling Luke asked. "You haven't hurt me enough? You didn't already humiliate me enough?'' A sob erupted and he gripped his belly at the pain of it. "You had to take this from me, too?"

Reid's brow crinkled in consideration, wholly astounded by the sight of his spouse, standing totally and utterly destroyed before him.

"God!" Reid exclaimed, the truth dawning on him. "This isn't about me, is it?"

Luke glared up at him in disbelief at his vanity.

"You're not with him to get back at me, are you?"

Luke shook his head as his expelled breath shuddered unbearably.

"You're… in love with him, aren't you?" Reid's forefinger scratched slightly at his top lip as he processed this.

Luke managed a faint nod this time and caught a strange look from his ex. Reid almost appeared to be hurt by this.

"How?" Reid asked. "When?"

"I don't know!" Luke cried. "It just happened! I love him so much and now he's gone!" Then almost to himself, "Oh God, he's really gone." He cupped his mouth in one hand.

Luke was surprised when Reid's expression actually showed a hint of repentance. He seemed almost sympathetic.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Luke. Reid's manner was making him angrier by the second. "Don't try to pretend that you actually give a damn about me!"

"Of course I do, ya duffus! I wouldn't have married you if I didn't have feelings for you. I wouldn't marry somebody I couldn't stand after a week. I'm the smart one, remember?"

"Then why…" Luke asked mystified, "…if you cared so fucking much? Why all those men? Why did you destroy everything?"

"Shit Luke! I said I had feelings for you. I never said I was a saint. Hell… a guy would have to be a saint to meet your expectations of a relationship?"

"My expectations?" Luke asked amazed, "…for wanting my husband to remain faithful? That's too high an expectation?"

"I'm not like you Luke. I never was."

"That's for damn sure!"

Luke jumped as his cell rang and he rushed to pull it from his pocket, betting on a long shot that it was Noah. The phone's Caller ID feature indicated Number Withheld; and Luke almost hit ignore; not feeling up to conversing with anyone but Noah at that moment.

But impulse won over.

"Hello?"

"Snyder? It's Jamison."

"Jamison? I thought you were off the case? Didn't you get my instructions along with the final payment?"

"Yes, I did." said the impatient private investigator, Jamison, who Luke had hired to investigate Reid and his family. "Consider this a courtesy call."

"Look I really don't-"

"That kid?"

"What kid?"

"Oliver's nephew… He's in danger."

"What?" A started Luke pressed the phone against his ear.

"I got a tip from one of my sources. There's a 10,000 grand contract out on Noah Mayer. Double checked it myself. Somebody's being paid to off that kid."

Luke's hand came up to his throat as his mouth ran dry.

"Thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to do something about it," the PI added. "Whatever you do… I can't be involved."

"Who?" Luke managed to blurt out when a rare gulp of air met his lungs.

The line went dead.

"Luke?" asked Reid frowning.

Luke ignored him and instead pressed speed dial on his phone.

"Pick up… please… I know you hate me right now but please pick up!"

It went to voicemail.

"Noah! Noah… when you get this, please call me… or go to a police station and wait there… Oh God! Shit! You won't listen to this message, will you?"

Luke lowered and stared in terror at his phone.

"Luke?"

Luke locked eyes with Reid. "Was it you… for the money?"

"What are you on about now?"

"You ordered a hit on Noah!'' Luke accused him. ''Call it off right now Reid or I swear to God…!"

"Luke, I don't have a clue what you're talking about! What's all this nonsense about a hit?"

"I heard you, you know? That day in the house… you… you told Greg to stop the pills. You wanted her dead Reid!"

"What?" an indignant Reid huffed.

"Don't try to deny it. I've got the evidence. When I helped Noah retrieve the will from Juliet's hiding place, I took the pill bottle from her dresser. I had the contents analyzed, Reid! You know what the tests revealed? Sugar! You swapped your mother's heart pills for sugar!"

"Hey now wait just a minute! What you are implying is ridiculous! I may be a bastard. But I'm no killer!" he pleaded. "I might have told Greg to hold back on the pills but not to stop them all together. I'd never do something like that. Come on Luke, you know me!"

"I don't know you Reid. I don't think I ever did."

Then something Reid said hit him.

"Greg? Greg wanted to get rid of her?"

"Yes! The idiot thinks we're involved in some eternal love affair. Like I'm really going to bother with that piece of shit for the rest of my life? I mean who the hell purposely messes with an old lady's pain meds?"

Luke then saw in Reid's face the same realization about Greg.

"Shit!" Reid moaned. "Greg put a hit out on Noah out of sick love for me! Oh fuck!"

...

They drove along in Luke's car, following the route Noah would have to travel to get from the subway station to his grandmother's home and theatre in Brooklyn.

"Greg!" Reid spoke into his phone from the passenger seat. "What the fuck have you done? Call me back the moment you get this or there will be hell to pay. You hear me?"

Beside himself with worry, Luke wasn't paying attention to traffic. More than once, he had to slam on the breaks to avoid smashing into the car in front of them.

"Watch out Luke!" Reid yelled. "You're going to get us both killed! Let me drive."

Luke didn't argue and the two quickly changed places.

"Where would he go first?" Reid asked, shifting into gear and flattening his foot on the accelerator. "The house or the theatre?"

Luke shook his head. "We're closer to the house so let's drive by there, just in case. But my instinct says he'll head for work. He feels safe there."

They drove in silence for a while, Luke biting his thumb nail down to the quick, replaying his short time with Noah over and over in his mind.

"Did you know about Greg?"

"Did I know what?"

"That he was abusing Noah?"

Reid turned to look at Luke questioningly but then blanched as he came to understand.

"No." he said quietly. Reid looked sick as his eyes returned to the road ahead. "No I didn't."

Luke nodded, fighting another onslaught of raw tears.

"How could you allow somebody like that into their lives? They're your family Reid! Your blood!"

"I didn't know, okay Luke? I swear. I would have done something about it if I had. I barely ever saw the kid! Besides…Noah never told me anything."

"Yeah… well, it's not like you're the most approachable person in the world. He was just a kid, Reid!"

When they drove up to the house, there was no sign of life. Luke ran up and pounded loudly on the door.

"Noah! Noah if you're in there… please open the door! Noah?"

Nothing.

"Maybe we beat him here," Luke suggested as he stepped back into the BMW.

"Could be, depending on how fast he caught the train." Reid agreed; grabbing the steering wheel ready to drive off again. "Let's try the theatre."

A few minutes later, Luke was bursting through the large theatre doors, eyes darting over every corner of the room.

"Can I help you?" asked one of two young boys working behind the concession stand.

"Noah? Is he here?" Luke asked frantically, approaching them quickly.

"He's not here yet. You're a little early."

There was something strange about the way the two guys kept looking at each other. Luke wondered if they knew more than they were letting on.

"And Greg… where's Greg?" he asked.

The teens looked at each other again before one finally spoke up. "He left already. Maddie took over his shift."

"Okay, well, if you see Noah tonight, can you tell him Luke was here and ask him to call me? It's urgent that he call me, okay? It's life or death urgent!"

They nodded.

"Make sure he knows, right?" Luke stressed. "Life or death!"

They both frowned at him.

"Okay man," one said. "We heard the first time… life or death… got it!"

Luke turned to leave when he spotted Maddie glaring daggers at him from behind the glass at the ticket window.

He headed toward her. "Maddie right?"

"He's not here," She coolly stated, seething with anger, her body language betraying her.

Luke had the distinct impression that not only was Noah nearby but he had probably told Maddie what happened back at the apartment.

"Look," he tried. "From what he's told me, you're his best friend and you love him, right?"

She frowned at him but nodded all the same.

"Well, I love him too."

"Yeah, sure," she huffed.

"Maddie, I'm really, really scared for him right now, okay?"

"Scared?"

"Shitless! Please Maddie, I'm begging you. If you know where he is, tell me! He's in terrible danger and he doesn't know it!"

She stared critically at him and Luke saw a glint of trust filter through her big brown eyes.

Maddie started to nod her head, when Luke caught a glimpse of Noah sneaking out of the projection room door.

"Noah!"

But Noah quickly disappeared down a side corridor leading to the back fire exit.

Wait!" Luke yelled tearing after him.

Luke made it just in time to see the fire door slam shut. It took all of his strength to force the bar to release and open the lock.

He burst through the door; and saw a panting Noah nearing the end of the long alleyway. Noah stopped, turned and looked fretfully back at Luke.

As always, their gazes took only seconds to seal.

"Please?" Luke mouthed at him, knowing Noah was too far away to hear him.

Noah simply shook his head. Even in the waning sunlight, hurt and doubt were clear on his beautiful face; a look powerful enough to stab at Luke's heart.

Noah wavered for just a moment before taking off around the corner and out of sight.

"Fuck!" Luke screamed out.

He rushed back into the theatre to corner the two concession workers.

"Where did he go?" Luke demanded.

They both shrugged.

"I KNOW you know where he went! You need to tell me RIGHT now!"

"Sorry man!" one of them insisted. "He never said, okay?"

A worried Maddie stepped out of the ticket office and walked over to where Luke was questioning her co-workers.

"Maddie, please tell me you know where he went?" Luke begged.

"I don't know, I-"

BANG!


	14. Chapter 14

He just knew it was too good to be true. That man didn't love him at all! That man used him to get back at his husband for whatever stupid reason.

It was a lie… all of it! And Noah had been the fucking needy fool gullible enough to fall for it!

He'd let his guard down for this person!

Why? Why did he let this stranger take advantage of him? He, of all people, should have known better!

"You can't trust anybody, Mayer!"

Noah half fell, half leapt down the final steep flight of stairs in Luke's apartment building. His head was swimming with images of Luke and their time together; and of Reid's outing of Luke as his husband.

He wasn't really seeing or hearing anything around him. He slammed hard and painfully against a wall, knocking the breath from his body. He regained his balance, gasping for air and continued his breakneck descent. As he slipped and stumbled down the final step the answer to his questions hit him like a bat to the face.

"Because you love him. Because you loved him from that very first kiss."

The thought temporarily blinded Noah and he collapsed onto the step, letting out the bottled up wail that was threatening to remove all his ability to breathe and to think.

How could somebody be so cruel as to play on his feelings in this way?

But then this was the guy who married his Uncle Reid… the Iceman himself!

"Oh God! Luke's my uncle!"

The buzz of his cell phone shook Noah out of his thoughts. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw Luke's name on the display; and pressed ignore.

Shattered, angry and broken hearted, he hauled himself up off the cold step and resolved to get as far away from Luke as fast as possible.

Swinging his rucksack over his shoulder, he pushed through the final door leading to the building's massive parking garage where Luke's company car and driver still sat waiting.

Desperately trying to keep his emotions in check, Noah tapped on the glass to get the driver's attention away from the newspaper he was reading.

Frank opened the window a crack to hear Noah's instructions.

"Can you drive me back to that movie theatre please?"

"Yes of course, Sir."

...

He stared up at his grandmother's theatre and tried to draw strength from memories of their time together.

Noah shared his grandmother's love of old classics. _Casablanca_, _It Happened One Night, In Love with the Proper Stranger_, _An Affair to Remember_…

So many times before she became sick they'd watch a film here together, just the two of them, seated in the centre of the cinema, sharing a bag of popcorn and a soda.

He missed that. He missed her.

And now he was compelled to miss a man to whom he meant little more than a callboy.

And yet… for a moment… he had thought…?

A forlorn Noah shuddered and entered the theatre, his shoulders slumped and his feet heavy.

Maddie was busy filing paperwork as he opened the door to the ticket office.

"Hey hon," Maddie said, not looking up. "You won't believe what happened…"

He didn't hear a word she said.

"…and he got fired… again! When the hell will he learn to keep his big mouth shut and do as he's…?"

It was then that she looked up and immediately moved to him. "Noah?"

Her hands reached up and rested on his shoulders. Her sudden touch shook Noah out of his stupor.

"Noah? Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?"

"It's over…" he whispered.

Maddie drew his head against her shoulder.

"Come here…"

Noah, desperate for comfort, clung to her. He could no longer keep the tears at bay.

"What do I do? What do I do, Maddie?" he begged. "I love him… the fucking bastard!" He sniffed loudly. "I love him so damn much!"

To Noah, it felt as if a great wound had opened up inside of him, a great blazing ache of loss.

Was this what it meant to die of a broken heart?

Maddie briefly left Noah's side to handle a line of customers at the ticket window. He remained rooted to the spot, staring blankly ahead as the tears continued to fall. He tried so hard to make sense of it all.

Maddie eventually got him to sit down; leaning forward on his elbows.

After a long silence, she asked the most pertinent question.

"What has he done?"

Noah's head moved from side to side; and he let out a heavy sigh. "He's married."

Maddie stood upright, hands on hips, and then leaned over once more to push Noah back so that she could see his face.

"Yes we know, you told me that already. Remember?"

"He's married to Reid." Both of his hands came up to rub his face and she clasped them in hers.

"Reid? You don't mean…?"

Noah nodded clearly.

"What?"

"It was all a lie, Maddie… all of it... from beginning to end! I guess he wanted to hurt Reid; get back at him for something. And what perfect way to do it, hey? Fuck his nephew!"

"How could he do this?" wondered Maddie as she once again hugged closely. "I'm going to kill him when I see him!"

As if on cue, she caught sight of Luke through the office window; getting out of his BMW near the theatre entrance.

"Shit!" she exclaimed standing straight up. "Noah… he's outside!"

"What?" he turned to see Luke running up the theatre steps. Noah bolted toward the projection room.

"I'm not here, okay? Everybody… got it?" he stared pointedly at the guys working behind the refreshment stand. They nodded. "No matter what he says! You haven't seen me!"

He quickly crossed the room and opened the projection room door, closing it behind him but not shutting it completely.

He pressed his back against the wall, holding the door ajar as Luke questioned the guys on his whereabouts.

"Life or death?" Noah wondered. What a strange point of phrase. Why is he here anyway? "It's clear Luke doesn't care about you."

Noah's heart pounded hard in his chest. He suddenly feared this man as much as he loved him. Who was Luke really? Noah ached as he realized he really didn't know Luke at all.

Instinctively he had avoided asking all the questions he should have done.

Instinctively he knew something wasn't quite right.

But his need at the time; and the way Luke made him feel; overrode all logic.

He didn't know all of Luke's motives. Everything that had happened between them suddenly seemed extremely creepy.

"Why is Luke here?"

He peered through the crack as he heard Luke's footsteps moving toward the ticket office. He tried unsuccessfully to hear what Luke was saying to Maddie.

He did see the expression change on Maddie's face; lines of anger toward Luke softening and shifting rather to lines of worry.

Luke appeared to have his friend completely snowed. Noah realized she'd fallen for whatever tale Luke spun her.

Noah was certain she would give him up. He wasn't going to wait around after that.

As quietly as possible he snuck out of the projection room and headed toward the back exit.

But Luke seemed to sense him there. Turning around, he spotted Noah as he headed down the short hallway.

Noah didn't wait, not even when he heard the panic in Luke's voice as the man shouted his name.

He pounded full-tilt through the back hallway, remembering to jiggle the fire door just so to open it and then slamming it shut behind him.

If Luke had indeed followed him, Noah knew he would have at least a few minutes while Luke struggled with the door.

He took off at high speed down the alley yet couldn't resist the compulsion to turn and look back over his shoulder.

Those brown eyes locked instantly with his causing his feet to glue to the ground.

Noah stood there out of breath and drowning in a sea of conflicting emotions.

His instinct was to trust this man. His instinct was to walk back up that alley and hold onto Luke. Kiss him and have him say everything was going to be okay.

But his sense of logic and survival, honed from years of being forced to share a living space with Greg told him to run; even as Luke pleaded with him to stay.

...

The side alley Noah cut through led down to the beginning of a maze of back alleys, usually frequented by drug addicts and homeless people.

A few of these lost souls now lay sprawled against walls or in makeshift cardboard homes. Several quizzically watched him as he passed. Noah moved as if running an obstacle course over and around them and their meager belongings.

He didn't often use the back alleyways for fear of being mugged. But he had traveled through them enough times to know where he was going.

As he came to the final turn, he heard someone racing to catch up with him.

"Hey kid!"

His body reacted to the sudden noise even before his brain comprehended the danger.

Something in that gruff accent spoke of evil and malice and chilled Noah to the bone.

As soon as he turned around, Noah caught sight of the gun and the strange pallid man holding it a few yards behind him.

Bang!

He sprawled face-first into the dirt, just as he heard the first shot; and a large puff of brick blew off a section of the wall behind him.

Bang!

He shoulder-rolled to his right as a second bullet slammed into the spot he'd just occupied.

Scrambling onto all fours like a runner in the starting block of a race, he leapt into a crazed run and drove the last few feet to take cover behind the wall. Specs of brick cut at his cheek as the stranger aimed for Noah's head and the bullet hit the corner edge of the building instead.

Heart hammering and brain wondering what the hell was happening, Noah didn't wait around. He took off down the final alleyway toward the sunlight of Morris Avenue; clogged full of people in the midst of the evening rush home.

He hoped the crowded sidewalks would provide a refuge. He could hear the pounding of the shooter's feet. But he didn't dare waste time looking back; and scrambled toward the street.

Another shot went off and caused him to stumble as he rounded the corner, joining the busy pedestrian traffic. Petrified, he bolted down the street, manically pushing annoyed people out of his way.

Reaching a concrete staircase leading down to a lower street level, Noah vaulted from one landing to the next.

A drunk rose up in front of him, putting him off balance for a second.

But the moment the old man saw the look on Noah's face he shrank back and out of sight behind a dumpster.

Noah took advantage of the pause to look up behind him and his eyes fell on the bearded man, standing on the top concrete step, one hand concealing the gun inside his long trench coat. Noah's blood ran cold as he saw the expression of glee on the man's ashen face.

This was no accident. This was sport and Noah was prey.

"Who is this guy?" Noah wondered. "What did I ever do to him?"

He took one more terrified look at the grinning gunman before merging into the crowd of shoppers and workers. Noah prayed the gunman would lose him by the time he reached the bottom of those stairs.

Halfway down the street, Noah felt a sharp hot poker-like pain rip through his side. Gripping the area, he panted as he reached a nearby bench seconds before he sat down in excruciating agony.

Panic seized him as he tried to sit upright on the bench and pulled down the zipper of his coat to feel inside. Removing his hand he found it to be dripping with dark red blood.

That last bullet had hit its target.

...

A weak, dizzily and totally terrified Noah grabbed at passersby, begging for help. But in that neighborhood, staying out of each other's business was a matter for survival. People turned their heads and quickened their pace to get past him.

He knew the shooter wasn't far behind. Noah had seen that look of intent in those steely eyes. He would not stop until Noah was dead.

A thick vale of sweat ran like rivulets over his skin and white splotches burst in front of his retinas. He kept shaking his head in order to clear them. His intuition was to run. But his legs were jelly-like, wobbling beneath him.

If he ran, it would likely make it easier for the man to spot him.

So he tried to keep to an easy pace and to walk upright, hoping to somehow blend in with the other pedestrians.

Twice his heart stopped when he checked over his shoulder and thought he saw his pursuer through the crowd.

There was no sign of the man. Noah hoped he'd lost the guy, a long shot at best.

Eventually he had to stop again. He leaned up against the wall of a restaurant and took a few raspy breaths.

"Why is somebody trying to kill me?"

''Life or death!'' he heard Luke's voice in his head and as if by some sort of clairvoyance his phone buzzed in his pocket.

The display read Luke.

One half of Noah warned him not to answer; to play it safe and try to make it to the nearest police station just five blocks away.

But five blocks might as well be five miles away when you weren't harboring a bullet in your gut!

The other half of Noah, the petrified, lonely half, desperately wanted Luke more than anyone in the world. And it was that half that won over.

''Luke...?'' he pleaded in a small, weak voice.

''Noah! Thank God you answered! We heard gunfire. Where are you? Are you okay?''

A thousand emotions rushed through him at the sound of Luke's voice. Noah's legs gave out and he slid down the wall onto his backside. He still held one hand painfully over the bullet wound remembering from so many movies that it was important to apply pressure.

''It hurts...'' Noah cried.

''What does?" There was fear and concern in Luke's beautiful voice. "What hurts baby?''

Noah struggled to breathe.

''Noah are you still there?'' Luke asked desperately. ''Please… are you alright?''

"He's really close.'' Noah coughed.

''Noah?''

Was Luke crying?

''He's trying to kill me.''

"Then let me help you, please Noah… tell me where you are!"'

Noah was shaking his head from side to side. He was confused and earnestly wanted to believe Luke.

''I'm scared.''

''Meet me. Meet me at the fountain in the square.''

''I don't know if I can trust you.''

''I know. I get it. I'm so sorry. But right now Bubby, you don't have a whole lot of options.''

''I can't think!'' Noah gasped. He wanted to just pass out. But he knew it would be his death.

"Then don't. Don't think... Just feel! What do you feel?''

Noah moaned as his eyes found his relentless pursuer just a few blocks back, making his way at a startling pace. Noah was so tired; he didn't know how much longer he could go on.

''He's here…'' he managed to whisper into the phone before dumping it in his jacket pocket and scrambling to his feet, using the wall as leverage.

Finding some hidden reservoir of adrenaline, he started once more down the street; hoping again that he could lose the gunman in the large crowd.

Luke was right.

Noah was totally out of options. He would never make it to the police station on the wavering stores of strength he had left. And the fountain was just up the street.

Even though he had good reason not to trust Luke, Noah did as Luke directed. He stopped using his head and switched to his heart.

He knew what he had to do.

He struggled on while dodging people as sweat poured out of him, soaking his clothing and setting the bullet wound on fire.

Breathing hard through his mouth, he took another quick look at the injury in his side. It didn't look good. The area was swollen and purple around the bullet wound.

He still couldn't believe that he had been shot… actually shot… like in the movies.

Except this wasn't the movies! This was for real!

And for real was a hell of a lot more excruciating than he could ever have imagined.

Checking over his shoulder, a frantic Noah had no idea where the gunman had gone; and yet he felt sure he was being watched.


	15. Chapter 15

The sound of gunshots sent Luke bolting for the front exit, flinging open the large double doors and galloping down the steps.

When he reached the pavement, he frantically scanned the area left and right, trying to figure out where the sound originated.

It was only then that he noticed Maddie by his side.

"What's going on?" she pleaded.

At the same time, Reid had left the car and made his way over to where Luke and Maddie stood.

"Did you hear those shots?" a frantic Luke asked.

"You don't think…?" began Reid.

"YES!"

"WHAT?" Maddie yelled, eyes widening as she now too scanned the surrounding area, wishing perhaps that somehow Noah would just magically reappear.

"Now don't go getting your panties in a twist!" Reid delivered his usual manner of derision. "You don't know that for sure!"

"Noah was here, Reid!" Luke exclaimed. "He saw me and ran out the back!"

Then Reid offered a theory. "It could just as easily have been fireworks or a car backfiring."

"Wait! Just hold on a minute!" Maddie grabbed Luke's arm and looking between the two men asked, "Would one of you please tell me that the hell is going on?"

Luke shook his head sadly at her. "It's Noah. There's a hit… a contract out on him."

Maddie frowned, obviously unable to comprehend it.

"That means somebody has been hired to kill him." Reid explained with condescension.

"Yes I know what a hit is – thank you very much!" an annoyed Maddie replied. "But what I don't understand, is why on earth anybody would go after Noah? It's not like-"

"It was Greg." Luke interrupted, "for the money from…"

"For Juliet's estate?" A now horrified and confused Maddie asked.

"Yes!" Frustration and worry about Noah gripped Luke. "Look, we don't have time for this! We have to find Noah before the hired gun does! Don't ask me how I know. I just do! Noah's in trouble! Those were definitely gunshots!"

"They came from down there." Reid pointed toward the Avenue L/East 13th Street intersection.

That seemed right, Luke thought. It was the general direction in which Noah had run.

Terrified, he tried once more to reach Noah on his cell phone, praying he would answer.

"Luke…?"

When he hard Noah's feeble voice, Luke sagged in relief against the stairway's metal handrail. But it was short lived. Noah was in trouble and perhaps already hurt.

...

It felt like an hour instead of minutes since Noah had spoken to Luke. But finally he was getting close. He could see the gilded top of the fountain in the distance, rising above the heads of other people on the street.

Noah tried to speed up as he ran past store front after store front; but his legs were running pretty whipped.

Whenever he tried to move any faster he'd start to stumble; and he was afraid he was going to trip. Instead, he started to walk an even pace with agonizing difficulty, pretending to belong in the crowds, knowing the gunman and Greg weren't far behind.

But they were even closer than he thought.

As he walked past the entrance to another dark alley, someone leapt out and grabbed him in a crushing and weighty hug from behind, pinning his arms to his sides; and nearly lifting him off his feet. A bolt of pain ripped through his side causing him to cry out.

"I'm real sorry about this kid," Greg grunted into his ear. "But you've left me with no other choice."

That voice was enough to send a spine tingling ripple of alarm up his back.

Usually just the sound of Greg's voice was enough to send Noah into survival mode. But to have the man's arms around him temporarily immobilized him making it easy for Greg to drag him back into the alley and away from prying eyes.

But Noah wasn't going to go down without one last fight. When Greg finally dropped him, Noah swung wildly as he spun around only to be stopped by Greg's powerful fist catching him square in the jaw. His vision clouded as he fell back in a blur of tears and pain.

...

Luke, Reid and Maddie split up in search of Noah.

Reid headed off down the back alleys in which Noah had first disappeared, while Maddie ran to search the park and surrounding area.

Luke headed for the fountain in the square, hoping with every piece of his being that Noah still had enough trust left for him to follow his instructions and meet him there.

Maybe, just maybe, scared as he sounded on the phone, Noah would turn to Luke now, having run out of options.

There was no doubt that Luke was struggling to keep it together. The anxiety in Noah's voice; the deathly fear Luke had heard there; and the knowledge that someone was really close to ending Noah's life; crushed him.

When Luke finally reached the fountain he earnestly circled its cylindrical design a few times, searching for Noah; eventually having to accept that he wasn't there.

Luke was left feeling cold and unsure as to what his next move should be. Night was falling and that would make finding Noah all the harder.

"Please be okay." he whispered into the chilling wind.

Should he wait by the fountain and hope Noah was still trying to make his way? Or would it be better to join Reid and Maddie in a wild search of the entire area, trying to take advantage of what little daylight they had left?

He was even considering calling the police when he saw Noah plunging through the crowd toward him. He drew a sharp breath of relief. Noah was still alive; though the terror in his eyes told Luke that danger wasn't far away.

A hot dog vendor unfortunately chose that very moment to wheel his cart across Luke's view; and he lost sight of Noah.

The next time Luke saw him, the burly Greg had a forearm wrapped around Noah's throat and was dragging him back into an alley way.

Luke dashed in their direction, watching horrified as a creepy, disheveled looking man drew a gun from under his coat and entered the alleyway after Greg and Noah.

"No!" Luke screamed, willing his legs to run faster.

...

Once Noah had recovered enough from the punch to look back up, Greg was backing away toward the exit and out of the alley.

Noah became confused and made a tentative move to leave, but stopped short when the man who shot him earlier appeared, blocking Noah's only escape route.

He approached with that same manic grin and pointed the gun directly at Noah's head.

Noah closed his eyes and conjured up Luke's face in his mind. That was what he wanted to think about before he died.

Luke! Luke as he'd know him. The kind, gentle and comforting man, who made him laugh even when he was sad.

The gun went off, gripping him in terror as he dropped quickly to the ground, sheltering his head under his arms.

Somehow… somehow he was still alive.

Shuffling, groaning and grunting noises to his right snapped him out of his frozen state. He opened his eyes to see two bodies rolling around on the ground; pounding away at each other.

The gunman had apparently dropped his gun early on in the scuffle. It now lay a short distance from Noah's right hand, as if placed there by some guardian angel.

Barely functioning, Noah crawled through the dirt, grime and trash until he was close enough to stretch out his arm and grab the handle.

He knew nothing about guns. He'd never seen a real gun in his whole life, let alone fired one.

But relaying on what he gleamed from watching countless cinematic shootouts; he shakily cocked back the hammer. Noah rolled onto his back and aimed the gun with both hands. Luke delivered a right hook to the man's jaw and he stumbled backward.

BANG!

Noah fired, striking the attacker in the stomach. The assailant's face had a look of utter shock as he moved slightly forward and fell with a loud crunching sound onto his face.

Despite the noise from the busy street, all Noah could hear was his own labored breathing and the beating of his heart.

"I killed him."

As the sickening thought crossed his mind, he was gripped by the need to protect himself. His unsteady hands still brandished the firearm when a bloody and dirty Luke began to approach him.

"Stay away from me!" Noah screamed, leaping to his unsteady feet. "I'll shoot!"

...

Luke was completely out of breath from the fistfight with the strange man. Having no weapon to fight him off; and precious little time to come up with any other solution, he'd angrily ploughed into the gunman just as he'd pulled the trigger.

As he struggled during the fight, Luke was totally unaware of Noah's condition. For all he knew, the bullet had found its target.

But his main priority in the moment was to somehow render the killer unconscious.

That problem was suddenly eliminated with one loud shot. The gunman lay dead and Noah's entire frame trembled before Luke.

"Noah, listen to me," He said gently, focusing totally on the wide and manic blue eyes and not the barrel of the gun pointed toward him. "Look at me. I won't hurt you."

"You said that before." Noah sniveled.

Luke shuddered at that but took a step forward. "It's over."

"You lied! I told you everything! I told you everything and you used me! You used me to get back at Reid."

Luke shook his head. "No! That's not what happened. Trust me. Please just trust me one more time."

Noah began to sob; and Luke wanted nothing more than to draw the broken man into his arms.

Luke took another step forward and Noah lifted the gun firmly.

"I can't trust YOU!" Noah shouted, "How do I know you're not a part of this?"

"You KNOW." Luke stated confidently, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Noah's.

Luke nervously took another step forward.

"This…" a now tearful Luke gestured between them. "…is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I didn't tell you about Reid and me… and that was wrong. But I was SO scared, Noah. I was so scared we wouldn't make it. I love you… Don't you get that by now?"

Luke saw a slight flicker in Noah's features. Noah wanted so badly to believe him.

"Besides," Luke continued gently, "…you started this, remember? You kissed me first. How could I have planned that? Hey? How?"

And that was it. Noah's bottom lip quivered as he lowered the gun, letting it drop to the ground before sinking to his knees. His shoulders slumped, his eyes brimming with tears.

"I'm so tired." he said as he pressed his hands to his watery eyes. His whole body heaved with the effort of it all.

Luke ran his hands through his hair and sniffed through his own tears as he took the last few steps to the man he loved.

He sat down beside him and drew Noah close; his hand disappearing into a head of matted, wet black curls.

"It's over now." Luke whispered, his voice catching in his throat as he kissed the top of Noah's head. "No one can hurt you now. I won't let them."


	16. Chapter 16

The sudden dead weight of Noah's body and a warm sticky flow over his arm alerted a shattered Luke that a now unconscious Noah was bleeding from a bullet wound.

"NOAH…? No!" he screamed, grabbing the wounded young man into his arms and fumbling with his cell phone to call for help.

A long four minutes later, three uniformed police officers arrived on the scene; and immediately cordoned off the alley. Close on their heels were two paramedics, who peeled a reluctant Luke off Noah's prone frame and checked their patient's vitals.

Stained in a dark mixture of his own and Noah's blood, Luke was completely panic-stricken. The entire event played in slow motion before him as though he were trapped in some really bad dream.

When the paramedics asked whether he was family, Luke had simply nodded, not able to comprehend anything beyond that Noah could be dying.

Luke held Noah's sweaty hand while riding alongside him in the ambulance, watching Noah's breath fog the oxygen mask on each exhalation and praying for it to continue.

The sun had set by the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital where Noah was whisked away into surgery. Luke was left to wait on watery knees in the corridor.

He barely noticed as a nurse set to work cleaning up the bleeding cut above his eye.

A police officer arrived to take Luke's statement. He answered all the questions but afterward couldn't remember a word of it.

All he wanted to do was concentrate on Noah.

He couldn't lose him! He couldn't!

There was still so much they didn't know about each other; still so much to share, including this incredible love Luke felt between them.

That's if Noah would ever let him back in.

Luke ached to see him.

But the bad situation got even worse when Luke was suddenly banned from receiving any further information about Noah or from visiting his bedside.

It seemed a nurse working in surgery that night knew Noah from the many times he'd brought his grandmother in for treatment. A quick check in patent records confirmed her suspicions… only one relative was listed besides Noah's grandmother and it wasn't somebody named Luke Snyder.

"I'm sorry sir… family only!"

"But I AM family!" Luke insisted, playing the only card he had, "I'm his uncle by marriage!"

"Sir, you are not down as a relative and as such I cannot help you. Rules are rules."

That left Luke with just one agonizing option.

He had to call Reid.

...

"Oh God. Please don't let him die."

While this strange little person called Maddie sat in the car seat next to him and prayed for the soul of her injured friend; Reid prayed she'd stop.

Only he didn't pray to any real god, of course. Reid was a devout atheist.

Only small, insignificant scared beings would ever want to believe in a higher power.

He was far too intelligent for that. No, he understood the true workings of the world.

The world just was. And that's that!

And if, like his unfortunate nephew, you happened to come in contact with a stray bullet in your gut, chances were you could die. You were buried, or cremated, or whatever.

Eventually… you were forgotten.

Of course, he did hope for Noah's survival. It's not like he wanted the kid dead or anything. It wasn't Noah's fault Juliet left him everything.

As much as it hurt to admit it, the mistake had been his own. He should never have flaunted his wealth in front of his mother leaving her no reason to leave him with anything.

Reid wasn't sure why he'd done that. He'd wanted her to notice his success; even though it wasn't really his wealth to flaunt.

There was another reason he didn't want Noah to die.

Luke!

As that surprising thought slammed into his consciousness, he jumped slightly and the car swerved.

Suddenly the girl was talking directly to him.

"This is entirely YOUR fault, you know?" she accused him.

"What's that?"

"You and Luke. Both of you. You've both treated Noah like dirt. And now his life's in danger because of it!"

"Um, excuse me… but how this is MY fault? I wasn't the one sleeping with him, remember? I'm the husband!"

Maddie scowled at him. "And why WAS Luke showing Noah so much attention, if he had a so-called husband?"

"Because he's in love with him."

Maddie's mouth gapped open. Reid was used to that.

When you were prone to speak your mind without a bit of sugar coating people tended to be shocked; especially when what you said was pretty much the truth.

"That's right," Reid assured her. "Luke's involvement with Noah has absolutely nothing to do with me or anyone else. That little runt stole my husband's affections right out from under me."

"Oh and I'm sure you were just Dr. Innocent in all of this, right? I know you were sleeping with Greg. Noah told me! Oh, and who was it that hired the creep in the first place?"

"Did Noah also tell you how to mind your own business?"

Maddie couldn't see it. But Reid's left hand was clenched so tightly that his nails were cutting half moons into his flesh. He remained quiet as he drove and she continued to angrily babble.

He wondered exactly what was wrong with him. Although, deep down, he already knew what the alien emotion was. Jealousy.

"You are an idiot!" he told himself. "What's the matter with you?"

He tried to relax, breathing deeply through his nose.

But he was indeed jealous. It was something he had never felt before in his life and an emotion that he was appalled to feel now.

But there was no denying it. It bothered him. He had liked being loved by Luke even if he didn't exactly return that love.

But now Luke was really and truly in love with someone else.

Reid was startled by the intensity of the feelings Luke so obviously held for Noah. Was it really possible to fall so deeply in love with a person you barely knew?

If there was one thing Reid was sure of; this relationship between Luke and his nephew began after the collapse of their marriage.

Reid knew Luke, and Luke was no cheater.

So, yes, love at first sight was possible. Reid was witnessing it for himself.

...

Noah was suffering from an acute sting behind the eyes that was quickly splitting his brain in two. He'd angrily buzzed for a nurse for the sixth time.

He wanted them to put him back into a dreamless sleep.

He wanted to sleep so badly.

But every time he closed his eyes, he was met with images of that bullet entering the chest of the pale man he had killed; or he'd feel how his skin rippled when Greg attempted to strangle him.

He'd wake with such force he'd feel an intense strain around the dozen stitches in his side.

So when the door finally opened, he almost whooped with relief expecting a nurse armed with a syringe for his IV or a mega sleeping pill.

But it was far from a Florence Nightingale to enter his room. It was his Uncle Reid.

"You should have knocked." Noah said flatly, hiding his surprise at seeing Reid but also feeling a pulse of fear. He didn't think Reid was involved in trying to kill him. But then he hadn't known about Luke either. So what kind of judge did that make him?

"I brought you flowers." Reid countered, trying out a smile that just made him look odd.

Reid unceremoniously plunked the sad, wilting bouquet on the tray before Noah.

"Where did you steal that?" Noah asked eyeing them cynically.

"Hey Kid!" Reid snapped. "I didn't HAVE to come all the way down to this crummy hospital!"

"Yeah… well, why did you then?" Noah snapped back, his frayed nerves playing havoc with his emotions. "It certainly wasn't for my benefit. You're one of the last people on earth I wanted to see… ever again!"

Since the moment he'd woken up in the hospital, Noah had quickly and carefully built up a stone cold wall around himself; lashing out at anyone who got too near.

He was allowing himself to sink deeper and deeper into apathy; a grey cloud wrapping him in swaddling folds, dimming all source of light.

But now, within close range of Reid's domineering presence, he could feel all the bricks in that invisible structure vibrating and threatening to crumble.

"Fine then," Reid shot back. "I'll go! I only came because of Luke, anyway!"

Noah's heart leaped ever so slightly. Reid was already out the door when Noah called out, "Wait! What?"

For a moment an anxious Noah's blood ran cold. He was sure Reid hadn't heard him and wasn't going to return.

But eventually the doctor stuck his sandy blonde head around the door.

"Luke." Reid said again. "He's been sitting out there for 48 hours waiting for you to wake up. He won't leave the hospital. He won't eat anything. He doesn't sleep."

"Luke? Luke's outside?"

Luke hadn't abandoned him after all?

"It's really ridiculous since he can't see you," Reid continued, oblivious to the seeds of optimism he was sowing in Noah. "He's not a relative. In fact, I was surprised to find I was listed as next of kin, according to the hospital. Your grandmother must have given them my name. God only knows why."

"Well," Noah asked, drained of what little reserves of energy he had left and struggling to speak. "When can he come in?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"Can't you find out?" a desperate Noah pleaded.

"What am I… your personal assistant?" Reid snapped.

One of the bricks surrounding Noah cracked and he felt the tears welling up.

He needed Luke so badly. He needed Luke to tell him things were okay.

Unfortunately, it seemed the only person who could help him was the one person who most likely wouldn't. Reid stood there watching the first tears roll down Noah's cheeks. He sighed deeply and re-entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"Look Kid," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "I don't really do relationships and sentiment and all that stuff, okay?" He wrinkled his nose.

Noah huffed at that… as if he didn't already know!

"You married Luke," He stated softly, feeling a twinge in his heart.

"That was different."

"Why?"

"Because…" Reid looked flustered for a second and then sighed, "Luke's different."

What followed then was the first brief, silent moment of understanding between uncle and nephew.

"Anyway…" Reid continued breaking it, "I wanted to say… I mean… I'm sorry… okay… about… Greg…"

Noah's eyes lifted to meet Reid's. Was his uncle actually apologizing to him for something? There was an undeniable flicker of guilt in Reid's eyes.

"I didn't know." Reid continued.

Two more bricks broke free and a couple of sobs burst out against his will as it became clear Reid knew everything.

He didn't want this! He didn't want sympathy from this man who had ignored him his whole life! No way was he about to share a bonding moment with this man… the man who brought Greg into the house for his own selfish reasons!

How dare Luke tell Reid everything? Why? Why would Luke do that?

"Get out!" Noah spat with what little strength remained, desperately trying to conceal more tears from Reid.

A flabbergasted Reid just stood there. Noah lifted himself up in the bed, wincing at the pain and effort of it and yelled again. "GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT!"

"Fine! Relax I'm going!" Reid assured. "But I tried, okay? You can't deny that I tried!"

Noah flung the bouquet at the closing door. Hitting it, the flowers broke from their bonds and spread out like fireworks up into the air, scattering petals and stems all over the room.

Reid's apology came years too late.

...

It was thanks to Reid, though carried out rather begrudgingly, that Luke was able to shower and finally change out of the blood-stained clothing he had been wearing for the past two days.

Reid apparently realized quickly that no matter how sternly he spoke, Luke would not leave the hospital until he saw Noah.

So his ex stopped long enough at Juliet's house to get a change of clothes for Luke out of his own wardrobe. The jeans may have been a bit too tight and a white button up silk shirt was not exactly to his tastes, but Luke was thankful to have anything to wear that wasn't the blood-splattered clothes he had worn for the last two days.

And until Reid and Maddie showed up at the hospital, he couldn't find out anything about Noah's condition.

He created such a disturbance demanding to see Noah that the nurses finally called security to escort him off the premises. The security brigade plus the protesting Luke just happened to run into Reid and Maddie by the hospital entrance.

After Reid's utmost assurance - as a doctor himself - that Luke would no longer pose a problem, the hospital officials allowed Luke to stay.

Reid must have seen some inner intensity burning brightly in Luke's reddish brown eyes; an acute misery. It moved him to do something he hardly ever had while married to Luke.

He reached out and took his estranged husband's trembling hand to pull him into a much needed embrace.

A silent Luke shook against Reid's coat and then, somewhat recovered, waited anxiously while Reid went in search of information on the patient.

Luke finally relaxed a bit the following day when the first bit of good news hit. Noah was awake.

Now an impatient Luke paced up and down the corridor, while Reid visited with Noah.

"So?" Luke asked, rushing up to him as Reid returned to the waiting room.

"He's alive," Reid reported.

"Thanks for that helpful assessment doctor!" Luke snapped. "Come on, Reid! How is he? What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Reid asked. "He went all emotional on me and demanded I leave."

"Well, what did you say to him?"

"Nothing."

Luke scowled at him in doubt. "Really Reid… I know you better than to believe that."

Reid sighed, "Luke, I didn't say anything! I just tried to apologize about Greg and he got all weepy. The kid ended up having a fit. Flowers were thrown!"

"God, Reid?" exclaimed Luke, exasperated. "You're so…!" Luke struggled to find the right wrong. "URG!"

"What?" Reid asked, obviously clueless to how tactless he seemed.

Luke shook his head. "Never mind! Look… I need you to sort out things with the nurses. All you have to do is sign a release so I can go and see Noah."

"And just why," Reid asked with a huff, "would I want to do that?"

"Because… God I can barely believe I'm saying this… because you care. I know you do, otherwise you wouldn't still be here."

Reid frowned at him.

"Please." Luke pleaded.

For the longest New York minute, Reid stood there with defiantly folded arms, surveying Luke.

"Fine," he finally relented.

Reid marched off toward the nurse's station while Luke leaned back against the corridor wall, staring hopefully down the long passage way to Noah's room.

...

Noah was in a fretful, restless sleep when Luke pushed open the door to his room. Noah's brow furrowed deeply and his breathing was labored and wheezy. The tips of the black curls on his forehead were dark and arrowed with sweat.

Luke stood there frozen in the doorway trying to compose himself. He didn't want to risk waking Noah so close to an emotional melt down.

When he felt ready, he drew a heavy breath and crossed the room, pulling up a nearby stool and sitting beside the bed. His wet eyes never once left the man under the course covers.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Then, cautious of the intravenous drip protruding from a vein near Noah's knuckles, Luke took Noah's hand gently in his own and reached up to sooth his right hand over Noah's restless head.

"Shh…" he cooed. "It's okay. It's alright."

It might have been wishful thinking. But Noah did seem to calm a little.

Luke sat there quietly with him for an hour, twirling Noah's curls between his fingers and periodically kissing his palm.

...

"No!" An awakening Noah snatched his hand free from Luke's hold. "I don't want to talk to you. Go away."

He rolled over on his side away from Luke.

Luke hesitated for a moment. But fearful of upsetting Noah, he quickly stood up.

"I'm sorry. I'll go."

At first Noah kept his face turned away. But Luke's presence was magnetic and Noah turned back to see how Luke's pain wore heavy on his face.

Noah closed his eyes and lay there shivering, his breath ragged. That must have convinced Luke to go because Noah heard his heavy footfalls advancing toward the door.

Luke was practically out the room before Noah felt compelled to ask just one question.

"Why did you tell Reid?" Noah couldn't hide the anger and disappointment in his voice.

His eyes opened just in time to see Luke come to a complete standstill.

He watched Luke's shoulders slump and his feet shuffle as he fought to steady himself. He couldn't see Luke's face, but Noah knew he was crying.

"I'm sorry…" Luke said, shaking his head without turning, "I was… I was terrified and a mess and… I needed to ask him what he knew. I needed to know I didn't marry a man that…" he breathed away the lump in his throat. "A man who would knowingly allow something like that to continue and not do anything to stop it."

Noah sobbed, biting down on his lip. He wanted Luke to turn around but was also terrified he would.

"I want…" Noah painfully whispered. "I want so much to believe… you love me."

"I love you more than I've loved anyone before in my life." Luke's breath hitched. "The thought that… that I might lose you… because I did something stupid! Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

There was a long silent pause before Noah answered in a voice almost too soft to hear.

"It feels like dying."

Luke turned then, and their shared agony, a pain as real and deep as each other's, seared between them leaving both men in tears.

Noah had only to hold out his hand before Luke was beside him clasping it. He crawled under the covers, embracing Noah's feverish frame against his chest and kissing the top of his head.

Reveling in the embrace, Noah could no longer remember why he had been so afraid.


	17. Chapter 17

"Luke?" Noah said softly as they lay tangled together in the hospital bed.

They hadn't moved for the past few hours, not even when the nurse finally came in to administer Noah's pain medication.

They hadn't spoken either. Noah simply played with Luke's hand, interlocking their fingers, deep consideration etched on his brow.

"Yeah?" Luke answered, stiffening slightly for fear of what Noah might say.

It had felt like a miracle to hold Noah in his arms again; to have Noah accept even this much from him. He feared breathing too loudly might crack their fragile reunion. He lay there and followed Noah's lead.

"Can I…?" Noah hesitated, perhaps feeling the fragility of the moment as well. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you like." Luke assured him.

He heard Noah take a deep intake of air. "Did you change your name back to Snyder so I wouldn't find out about Reid?"

Luke's heart skipped a beat and he shook his head fervently.

"No! No way! I swear I didn't! When Reid and I first got married I took his last name as a romantic gesture. I wanted to do something for him, you know? I wanted to make him happy he married me."

"Oh."

"As soon as I left him I took back my name. I couldn't get rid of him fast enough." He lifted up onto his elbow and cupped Noah's cheek. "I absolutely never meant to keep things from you for as long as I did. I never wanted you to find out like you did either! I was going to tell you! Please believe me."

Noah looked deeply up at Luke. Eventually he nodded, pulling Luke back down to him.

"So… why?"

"Why what?"

"Why Reid?" His fingers found the curls behind Luke's ear.

Luke slightly laughed. "You mean why did I marry him in the first place?"

"Well, yeah?" Noah nodded with an obvious smirk. "How did you get to know him? He's so… offish. You're nothing like him. How did it come about?"

Luke considered this for a while, still cautious not to say the wrong thing. "Well, you know what they say about opposites and all that. I thought I saw something in him. A spark perhaps."

"Really?" Noah asked incredulously.

"I had grown to believe I imagined the good side of Reid. That somehow he'd just wanted me for my money. Okay, so maybe the money was a part of it. But going through all that has happened to you has changed my opinion of him. He's really been here for me, Noah. Despite the fact he knows I've fallen for you. So I know it's there… underneath all that pretence; beneath the surface… there beats a heart."

"Luuuke…," Noah drew out his bed partner's name. "You're kidding right?"

"Oh it's there, Noah… really!" Luke assured him. "If you can just get him to drop his guard for a second…" His mind drifted off momentarily. "You'll see it."

Luke thought back to all the good times he'd enjoyed with Reid. He was surprised to find that there were so few of them. Yet when they did occur, they seemed to keep him happy, at least for a while.

Noah was busy mulling over Luke's words.

"Maybe it takes someone special to draw him out," he concluded.

"Lately I've been thinking that was part of the appeal."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know." Luke sighed, pausing for a moment. "I felt like I was somehow exceptional because this doctor, who never gave anybody the time of day, was actually interested in me. It made me feel good about myself. I kinda liked seeing him lose his usual cool and unflappable aura around me."

Noah laughed at the thought.

"And I guess I enjoyed saying and doing things that brought the other side of him rushing to the surface. And, you know? Every now and then I can even get him to smile!"

"I'm sure you're the only person who ever could!" Noah said, amazed.

"Reid always seemed so adult to me, you know?" Luke continued. "I mean I had boyfriends before. But I always felt like I didn't understand them. I'd grow frustrated because I'd always have to know what they were thinking. I was so insecure; pathetic actually. And I guess I can be a bit obsessive."

"You… obsessive? Noooooooo!"

"Hey!" Luke punched him, happy to see Noah relaxed enough to joke with him. "Anyway, after a couple of failed relationships, Reid came along and he was just easy."

Noah looked up at him curiously. "My Uncle Reid was easy?"

"Not like that, dork! I mean…" Luke took a moment to collect his thoughts. "…on the surface he's totally honest. And when he says something, it's exactly what he's thinking. He says it even if he knows you don't want to hear it. So I never had to guess with him. I knew where I stood. At least I thought I did. He made me feel like an adult for the first time in my life. I was happy... for a time."

"Until you found out he was sleeping with Greg, right?" Noah speculated, more seriously, "Is that way you ended it?"

"Because of Greg… among others…"

"There were others?"

Luke nodded and stressed, "Many others."

Noah couldn't imagine why Reid would want anybody else when he had Luke waiting at home. He tried to ignore the slight twinge at the thought of them together.

"I'm so sorry he hurt you." Noah squeezed Luke a little tighter before shifting up so that his lips just touched the base of Luke's neck.

"I guess he wasn't as honest as I thought." Luke admitted. "But I'm glad to discover I wasn't THAT wrong about him. Even though he cheated on me, the good I saw in him was genuine."

"I'll take your word for it."

They laughed together and it felt good; safe and right.

"I've also come to realize that I never loved him." Luke continued. "Meeting you…" He stroked a finger down one side of Noah's smiling face. "Meeting you has made me see that. I think I just loved the idea of him, you know, in a grown up married relationship. I guess what I really wanted was the stability of it all."

There was a moment of comfortable silence as Luke ran his fingers through Noah's hair.

"Luke?" asked Noah after a while. "Why did they try to kill me? That guy in the alley…"

Luke closed his eyes. He knew Noah would ask him eventually. He could already feel Noah's body stiffen and he didn't want to get him upset by telling him too much. Noah was still fairly weak.

Luke quickly lifted up on his elbow once more and pressed a kiss to Noah's lips.

"Baby, you're safe. I won't let anything happen to you. None of that matters right now. All that matters is that you get better! And as soon as you are, I'll tell you everything. Okay? I promise."

A droopy-eyed Noah offered a deep sigh.

"You look tired. Those painkillers must be kicking in. Maybe I should go and let you get some rest."

Even though Noah was drifting off, he grabbed hold of Luke's lower arm. "No… stay until I fall asleep, 'kay?"

"Okay…" Luke smiled and kissed the top of his new lover's head. "… and Noah?"

"Mmm?" His eyes were closed now.

"Something good actually came out of Reid cheating on me?"

"What's that?" he muttered.

"YOU silly! I met YOU! And I love you."

"I love you, too."

It was the first time Noah had said it and Luke's heart glowed as he snuggled down beside him.

...

Luke was careful on leaving Noah's hospital room. Even though he knew Noah was asleep, Luke didn't want to risk him seeing the uniformed police guard outside his room.

Luke sought to do everything he could to keep Noah from feeling apprehensive in anyway, especially after everything he'd had been through.

But Luke just couldn't shake the feeling that the danger hadn't passed, even though the hit-man was now lying on a slab in the morgue.

He found Reid sitting out in the waiting room; his right ankle resting onto his left knee as he paged through an old and tattered National Geographic.

Maddie too was there, putting as much distance between herself and Reid as she could in such a confined space.

"How's Noah?" she asked leaping up as Luke entered in from the hallway.

Luke gently smiled. "He's okay. He was just tired more than anything."

Luke then noticed the uniformed cop standing off to one side, apparently waiting to speak with him.

"Mr. Snyder?"

"Yes."

"My name is Officer Malone. Detective Marco sent me over to give you an update on the Mayer case."

"Oh yes, thank you for coming." said Luke, shaking his hand. "So, do you know the name of the man who shot Noah?"

"Yes. His name was Biff Cain."

"Never heard of him."

"Chances are you wouldn't have unless you're in the murder-for-hire business." Malone said. "Cain was a hired gun, a notorious hitman well-known to the NYPD Homicide Unit."

"Jesus!" Maddie cried out in shock.

"A number of unsolved murders have signs of his MO," The officer continued. "But we've never been able to nail him on any of them."

"Well he's pretty much nailed now, right?" a sniggering Reid piped in.

"There's nothing funny about this Reid!" Luke glowered.

Reid rolled his eyes, steeling himself for a probable lecture from his ex.

"Noah could need therapy to get over this! Cain might have been an evil son-of-a-bitch. Maybe he even deserved to die. But that doesn't make it any easier for someone like Noah to take a life... any life!"

"Luke." Reid said in his usual straightforward tone, "One of them was going to die that day. Good thing it was Cain!"

Luke shook his head in disgust and then turned back to Officer Malone.

"What about Greg Chilton? Have you found him?"

"Not yet, but we have an APB out on him. He won't get far."

"He's been by the house." Reid volunteered.

"What?"

"When I went by there to get you a change of clothes I noticed he'd turned the place over. He's taken everything of any value, not that there was much of that."

The detective stepped in between Luke and Reid, glaring at the doctor.

"Tell me, sir," he asked. "Did you bother to report this? After all, Chilton is the one suspected of hiring Cain to kill your nephew."

"I was too busy getting back to my husband to be bothered with calling in the boys in blue. Besides, it looked like he was long gone."

Luke sighed. Noah had told him just how volatile Greg could be. There was no telling what he would do. Either he would turn tail and flee never to be seen again or he would come back; most likely angered by the fact that Noah had won the round and set the cops on him.

Malone saw how deeply troubled Luke appeared after hearing Reid's news.

"Don't worry." The cop tried to reassure him. "We have a uniformed patrolman on duty around the clock outside Mr. Mayer's room; and hospital security has Chilton's description and photo. Personally, I really don't think Chilton will try anything here. He wouldn't make it beyond the front door."

Luke wished he could be as sure. As far as he was concerned Noah would never be truly safe until Gregory Chilton was behind bars for good.


	18. Chapter 18

"Hold on." Luke supported Noah under his arms while he held his key card over the reader to open his apartment door.

A familiar beep and then a click sounded as the bolt drew back. Using the free side of his body, Luke elbowed the door open and drew Noah carefully through it, heading straight for the living room couch. It had been set up like a daybed complete with pillows and a down comforter.

"Thanks," said a pale, slightly shivering Noah as he sank into the couch. The trip from the hospital to Luke's apartment had worn him out.

Luke knelt by the couch and drew the comforter up under Noah's chin.

"You okay?" He asked with worry.

"I'm fine!" Noah smiled. "Stop fussing alright?"

Luke leaned forward, studying the soft curve of Noah's cheek and the sweep of his eyelashes. He cupped the back of Noah's head and gently pulled their foreheads together.

"That's like asking me to stop breathing." Luke whispered, lifting his head to kiss Noah on the bridge of his nose.

As they drew apart, Luke caught sight of Noah's gorgeous, shy smile and his breath shuddered. He shook his head.

"What is it?" Noah asked seeing the flash of sadness.

Luke swallowed and softly smiled as he ran a hand out from under Noah's hair and down his cheek.

"I never told you how scared I was."

Noah touched the hand Luke held to his face.

"I thought you were going..." Luke stumbled, his eyes welling up with tears. "…going to die. You'll never know how much I…"

"Shhhh… I'm okay." Noah assured him. "We're okay."

"Really?" asked Luke hopefully.

Noah nodded.

"You forgive me?"

Noah nodded again. "I forgive you… Uncle Luke."

Just like that Noah broke the tension leaving both of them laughing and sniffing back tears.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Luke asked. "That we can feel this way?"

"Crazy good." Noah chuckled.

"Crazy brilliant!" Luke agreed as the laughter continued for a bit before Luke asked an important question.

"You'll stay right?"

Noah blinked confused for a moment but then realized what Luke was asking.

"You mean here?"

Luke nodded.

"You want me to live… here?"

"Yes."

Noah looked around with a slight frown. "I don't know Luke…"

"Please Noah. I want you here with me. Always. Don't make me beg."

Noah looked back up at him.

"Has anybody ever told you that you have a certain stubborn determination to get your own way?"

"So… is that a yes?" Luke asked optimistically.

Noah looked deep into the adoring eyes of Luke. "Okay."

"Really?" Luke's grin reached from ear to ear and Noah couldn't help but mimic it. The man's smile was infectious.

A joyful Luke leaned over and tightly squeezed Noah hard, forgetting his injury for the moment.

Noah winced and let out a small cry.

"Oh… sorry… sorry!" Luke quickly drew back, checking Noah over.

Noah smiled, holding up his hands to show Luke that he was fine.

"I do have one condition," Noah stipulated.

"What's that?"

"You let me pay some of the bills and for some of the groceries and stuff. Okay?"

Luke smiled. "Deal!"

A buzz from the intercom interrupted them. Luke left Noah's side to answer it.

"Mr. Snyder?" It was Earl, the building's security guard. "I have a Miss Colman here in the lobby. She says she's a friend of Mr. Mayer. Okay to send her up?"

Luke pressed a button on the intercom and leaned forward. "Sure Earl."

Luke quickly opened the apartment's front door and stood watching for Maddie to arrive via the elevator.

"Hey."

"Hi. How is he?"

Luke stepped back and allowed Maddie to enter.

"See for yourself."

She stepped through the door and promptly stopped dead in her tracks, mesmerized by the view out the living room windows. She ambled over to look out and marvel at the city skyline.

"Holy ass mother!" she muttered before whistling under her breath. "It's Pretty Woman!"

"What?" asked a confused Luke while an amused snort from Noah brought Maddie out of her dream-like state.

She glared at Noah as if to say, "Don't you dare…!" and then innocently said, "Oh, it's nothing… Nice digs."

"Thanks." Luke smiled at her, while Noah offered a small wave.

"Noah?" Maddie screamed, walking over to bend and hug her friend. "How are you?"

"Great." Noah assured her. "I feel much better."

"You know?" she said, folding her arms across her chest. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"

"I'm sorry." Noah smiled.

They sat around making small talk for a while before dining on sandwiches for lunch and watching The Maltese Falcon, one of Noah's favorite movies.

Maddie's visit was capped off with coffee enjoyed with her two friends as the winter sun set over the city.

"Are you guys ever gonna tell me what happened?" Noah asked unexpectedly.

Luke and Maddie looked at each other.

"I'm not going to break, you know?" Noah said, watching their reaction.

Luke relented and set about telling Noah the whole story. He recalled about discovering Reid's betrayal and hiring the private investigator, which led him to spy on Juliet's home.

"So that's why you were there that morning!" Noah exclaimed, now making sense of it all.

"Yes. I wanted to see what he was hiding. I thought back then that Reid was only after his inheritance."

"But I don't understand. Why did Greg try to kill me?"

"Money!" Maddie explained. "He was counting on Reid being the sole beneficiary for your grandmother's estate. Greg thought they were a couple-"

"…so he just assumed that he'd benefit from the money too," Noah finished, nodding.

"The police are still looking for him." Luke said from the armchair beside Noah. "He just seems to have vanished."

"Do you think there's a chance of him coming back?" Noah asked and Luke watched the fear stretched across his face.

"No." Luke assured him. "No, Noah. He won't. Greg knows the game's over. He's a wanted man and he's lost Reid. So…"

Noah nodded, trying to look positive.

"Noah?"

The blue eyes lifted to connect with Luke's.

"You're safe. He can't get in here; and he likely doesn't even know where you went after you were released from the hospital."

Noah breathed deeply.

"You're tired." Maddie observed. "You should get some sleep.

"I am tired."

"Okay. Don't give another thought about the theatre. I'll take care of that," she said rising from her seat. "At least we can keep it open at night, right?"

"Thanks Mad's. You're the best."

Maddie grinned at Noah and kissed the top of his head.

"See you later dork!"

Luke showed her to the door.

"Do you want to move to the bedroom?" Luke asked Noah, closing the door behind Maddie.

There was no reply.

"Noah? I said do you want to-" He peered over the back of the couch to find Noah fast asleep.

Luke rubbed his hand down Noah's face, the knot in his stomach tying slightly. Luke had yet to share what he had discovered about Juliet's medication.

...

Greg sighed as he stared at the four grime-accented walls of his flea-infested motel room. The place had become his hideout after his carefully-crafted plan fell apart.

Instead of setting Greg up for life, the hit on Noah had blown up in his face! Nobody was ever supposed to know of his involvement. Cain was supposed to make it look like a random mugging.

Except something went wrong.

Somewhere along the line Greg had missed a very important piece of information. Noah had been having an affair with Reid's rich blonde bitch!

Greg didn't know how long Noah had been involved with that Snyder guy.

But somehow, amidst all of Greg's careful scheming and planning, Snyder had found out about the contract hit and run to Noah's aid.

Fuck him! Fuck all three of 'em… Including Reid Oliver!

Reid hadn't lifted a finger to help Greg. Instead he'd left a number of angry messages on Greg's cell; the phone he'd tossed in the trash for fear the cops could trace it.

Greg couldn't understand it! Everything he had done was for Reid… so Reid could get what was due him and the two of them could start their life together.

At least… that's what Reid had promised once the old lady kicked the bucket. That's why Greg had been patient over the years.

Okay sure, Reid had explicitly ordered him not to mess with her medication. But how much longer was he expected to wait? The old girl was practically already dead anyway! He did her a favor in the long run and saved her from another couple of weeks in agony.

Besides, it wasn't like he'd put a pillow over her face. All he did was remove the medication keeping her broken ticker ticking.

So now Greg needed a Plan B. There was no point crying over the lost and wasted years of his life. He now had both cops and sharks on his tale and he had no intention of being caught by either of them.

He needed to get the hell out of Dodge. Perhaps he would head for Mexico. He'd heard there were some hot pieces of ass in Mexico. He'd arrive as a rich gringo and find himself a little local honey, just as Reid had done with him.

But first he needed cash, lots of it; and he just happened to know where to get it!

...

Noah had yet to venture out of the apartment since coming home from the hospital. The wound in his side made standing difficult and walking nearly impossible. Medical checkups came in the form of home visits.

The most walking he had done in the past few weeks was the dozen or so steps between the couch, bathroom and bedroom.

Being so confined would have driven Noah insane in his old life, where he had always gone for a morning jog to get his daily dose of fresh air.

But as much as he looked forward to getting back on his feet, he loved the time he was able to spend alone with Luke. How he savored soaking up the love Luke showed him every moment they were together.

For the first few days, Luke worked from home while Noah slept most of the time. Noah found it so comforting to know Luke was nearby. And when he was awake, he and Luke would spend time talking and laughing softly together, falling back into a familiar pattern.

Noah soon became more ambulatory, which meant Luke started going into the office a few hours every day. Noah hated the time Luke was away but knew he had obligations to meet.

So Noah used the time to study and work on his assignments; grateful that Luke had arranged for the school to give him an extension.

And when he wasn't doing that, he would use the building's gym to gently build up his strength.

Luke and Noah grew to know each other better every day. Noah would get Luke to talk about his life growing up on a farm in Oakdale, Illinois; and about his large extended family. His upbringing was so different from Noah's.

He studied everything about Luke. From the angle of his jaw and the definition of his profile to the pattern of his conversation; and the expressions that gave away his deepest thoughts.

To Noah, it became as though he'd known Luke all his life. He was as familiar to Noah as the sight of his own face in the mirror.

Being with Luke felt so right that Noah couldn't understand how he had ever doubted it.

Slowly, as the days past and he felt his strength returning, that knowledge began to transform into real physical desire.

The strength of that desire pulsed through him one particular afternoon, when he entered the bedroom to find a jean-clad Luke sleeping above the covers while bathed in brilliant sunlight streaming in through the windows.

Noah was overcome by the warmth of Luke's presence; peaceful as he slept. Noah's biggest fear had been how alone he would be in the world once his grandmother was gone.

What struck him now was how he wasn't alone at all. He didn't have to face problems by himself. Luke was there… right there with him.

He felt suddenly comfortable, gratified by the unexpected turn of events that had led him to Luke.

Sitting down on the bed, Noah lightly touched Luke's arm. The contact was electric, a shock surging through his entire body.

Noah's hand closed over Luke's forearm awakening him. Luke's brown eyes came into view, slightly out of focus, confused at first and then softening at the sight of Noah.

Noah's own breathing had become shallow. He wanted Luke in that moment. He drew his entire body closer to hang within five or six inches above Luke's.

"Noah?"

Noah was helpless, robbed of the ability to breathe or think or even speak. He ran his hand up Luke's arm to meet his shoulder; his eyes following the movement and then lifting to meet a beautiful set of hazel browns.

Lowering his head closer, Noah touched his mouth to Luke's. He wanted more… much more.

So did Luke if his greedy response was any indication. Luke's arms encircled him, pulling Noah down to the bed.

Noah kissed more deeply leaving them both breathless when they separated.

Luke held him for several seconds, his hands stroking Noah's hair, then gently but firmly rolling over him. Noah closed his eyes and sank into the bed. His heart was racing and his body trembled and pulsated.

He kept his eyes closed as Luke gently undressed him, feeling the lapse when Luke left to undress and fetch supplies from the bedside table.

A short time later, Noah felt Luke return to wrap his arms around him.

All the air rushed out of his lungs when he finally opened his eyes to the magnificent sight of a naked Luke. Noah's body instantly responded to Luke's in that strange, silent communication which existed between them.

Luke sat back on his haunches, lifted the lower half of Noah's body on to his lap and drew Noah's legs apart. Noah waited for him, unbearably stiff and hard.

Luke's eyes moved over him, his right hand coming to smooth and stroke while the other hand firmly fastened itself to Noah's upper thigh, holding him in place.

Noah groaned as he savored the sight of Luke's body and the feel of his hands. He watched as Luke lubricated his fingers; and then drew a sharp breath as Luke prepared to ready him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" whispered Luke as he leaned forward and worked his fingers in more deeply.

"Yeah… ah," came the barely audible response from Noah, reveling in a state of such tremendous pleasure.

Noah nearly bucked from the bed as Luke lowered his head and sucked on him, the double sensation of mouth and fingers driving him nearly delirious.

Then Luke slipped both his hands beneath Noah, raising him up, and in one slow thrust buried himself inside.

Noah made a small, involuntary sound low in his throat just as Luke lifted him again, this time bending Noah's leg around his lower back. His fingers were back to delicately, knowingly stroking, bringing Noah closer; Luke's presence for a time solid and motionless inside of him.

Noah slipped his hand up around Luke's neck, closing around the nape and under his hair line. He pulled Luke forward so that they could share a searing, open-eyed kiss that sent the spiraling emotion of love tearing through him.

Noah swept his eyes over Luke relishing every part of his lover's body from his chest and shoulders to the flat, muscled plane of his belly, his hips, and thighs. Everything about Luke exuded enormous strength.

Yet his hands were gentle and soft on Noah's skin.

Noah felt every part of the man's body he could reach, knowing he could never get enough of it.

Luke made love to him and Noah drew him in, lusting after Luke's surging presence inside of him.

Nothing existed or was as important as the need to stay joined, connected, hands and mouths touching, moving harder and sinking finally into a shuddering, exhausted sleep against each other.

...

When they woke, Luke took in Noah's hair cascading in tangles and matched by his eyes; deep and bright. Luke moved forward abruptly to capture Noah's tongue with his mouth.

With toes touching while wrapped inside the sheet, they smiled at each other.

But it had to break. Luke could no longer keep something from Noah. Now appeared to be the time to bring reality back into the room.

"Noah… I've got to tell you something… something about… Greg."

The mere mention of that man's name caused Noah to tense up.

"I don't want to talk about him. Ever again."

Luke withdrew from him and stretched out on his side, leaning up on his elbow.

"I have to tell you. There's something you have to know."

Hearing Luke's sudden shift in mood, Noah turned his head on the pillow to face him.

"What is it?"

"I was suspicious." Luke sighed, "…because of things I found out about Greg and that day we went to search for the will in her room…"

"Grams' room?"

Luke nodded. "I took her pill bottle from the dresser."

"Why?" Noah's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm so sorry Noah." Luke said taking Noah's hand in his. "I had the contents tested in a trusted, local lab. The test showed the bottle contained placebos."

He saw Noah's quick intake of breath.

"Sugar pills?"

"Yes. Greg apparently replaced her heart medication with placebos. I'm sorry."

Luke saw it then – love, pain, anguish – welling up again inside Noah.

"Oh my God." came Noah's whispered breath before he dissolved into sobs. Tears leaked out the corners of his eyes and rolled down his face. "Grams…"

Luke pulled Noah toward him and held him tighter than ever before.


	19. Chapter 19

The news that Greg switched his grandmother's heart medication for placebos sent Noah reeling.

How his grandmother must have suffered. The medication was designed to ease her pain; and Noah himself had given her those pills believing they would help. He never imagined that Greg would have tampered with them.

But Luke was able to convince Noah that he was not to blame. Greg was an unspeakably evil person to have done what he did, while Noah had always acted in his grandmother's best interest and out of love.

With time, the nightmares eventually stopped. The pale man no longer stalked Noah in his sleep. He dreamt only of Luke now.

Before he knew it, Noah found himself in a state that could only be described as pure happiness; all because of this incredible new relationship with Luke.

He woke one morning from a blissful, sex-fuelled sleep and stretched as he yawned. Shifting over to Luke's side of the bed he briefly sniffed at the sheets, hoping to catch a lingering scent of his lover.

He checked the time and figured Luke must have left for work over an hour ago. He stretched his arm for the remote that lay on the bedside table and used it to raise the blinds.

He lay there for another few minutes enjoying the view and then swung his long legs over the side and stood, lifting his arms into the air for another deep stretch.

"Wow! That felt good!" he exclaimed and sauntered naked into the bathroom.

He carefully removed the bandage on his wound, glad to see that it appeared to be healing nicely.

After throwing away the soiled dressing Noah stepped into the shower; turning the tap on full power.

The first jolt of icy water caused his skin to goose-bump. But he always started the day like this. That quick spurt of cold, before the hot water arrived was just what a person needed to really wake them up in the morning or so his grams had often told him.

He could still feel those pleasant dull aches caused by another night of love making, the ghost of Luke's touch on his skin. He broke into a grin and hummed a tune as he poured on the shower gel.

After applying a new bandage to his wound and getting dressed, he lazily strolled into the kitchen where, as usual, Luke had prepared the coffee for him. He poured himself a mug and leaned back against the counter, breathing in the steam with pleasure. He sipped slowly, letting the fine strong liquid roll down his throat.

"Ah," he breathed loudly and with satisfaction. Luke really did make a fine pot of coffee.

His eyes scanned the empty apartment, which always seemed so bare without Luke around. He was considering how to spend the day when his cell buzzed.

It was a text message from Maddie.

"Problem at theatre. Plz come."

He wondered what she was doing there so early. Since he didn't have anybody to run it for him, Noah had kept the cinema closed during the day, while Maddie handled the night shift.

Noah knew Luke would be angry if he left the apartment. But he simply couldn't stay indoors for another second. He was going stir crazy.

"Sorry, Luke." Noah muttered as he abandoned his coffee, grabbed his coat and rucksack and made his way down to the lobby.

He spent a short moment circling and gapping up at the gigantic Christmas tree which decorated the lobby; before smiling at Earl and giving him a hastily scribbled note for Luke.

He walked happily out into the noise of the city.

The familiar New York smells hit him as soon as the automatic doors slid back. Even though this couldn't exactly be described as 'fresh air' he took a huge gulp full of it.

Along with those staple smells was the distinctive aroma of roasted chestnuts, reminding Noah once again that Christmas was fast approaching.

An icy wind was being channeled down the street and it felt amazing on his face.

Getting out was definitely a good idea.

He rode the crowded cross-borough bus and after a while found himself standing at the foot of the theatre steps.

"Hi, Old Girl," he whispered up at the beautiful art deco building, which seemed to creek and sigh in response. The place brought up memories and then those thoughts… the dark ones… stirred somewhere inside.

But he willed them into retreat as snow flurries began to fall.

"Grams wouldn't want you to dwell in the past." he reminded himself, swallowing away the ache. "You're happy with Luke. That's what she wanted."

He sighed, climbing the steps while digging through his rucksack for the keys.

He reached the door before he found them and tried it. Locked. He knocked a few times and peered through the glass into the surprisingly dark foyer.

"That's odd?"

Burrowing deeper into his backpack, he found the main door key and entered the building.

"Mads?" he called out. But there was no answer.

Leaving his bag and jacket in the ticket office, Noah headed for the projection room and the ornate spiral metal staircase leading up to the platform where the main projector was positioned.

"Maddie?" He called again as he reached the top of the platform. He felt certain she must be there.

The first thing he saw was her sneaker, sticking out from behind the projector. The hairs instantly rose on the back of his neck as he drew closer.

He found her unconscious on the floor, her cell phone lying by her side.

"Maddie!" he yelled, falling to his knees and shaking her shoulders. "Maddie, wake up! What happened?"

That's when he heard the sound of feet shuffling behind him.

But before he could turn, a strong hand was holding a yellow dust cloth over his face. It was soaked in a toxic substance which instantly burned deep within his throat.

He instinctively bucked back frantic to break free and get to his feet.

But the attacker was strong and held Noah in a vice-like grip. The more he fought the deeper he breathed in the substance and the dizzier he became, eventually blacking out.

...

Luke loved the low, musical sound of Noah's voice along with his hair, his blue eyes… just about everything.

He couldn't hide his smile from the other people sitting around the conference room table at World Wide's publishing division. They had gathered to hear a proposal for a new magazine.

But Luke couldn't have cared less about the proposal or business in general. He was simply, unashamedly and astoundingly happy.

Twenty minutes prior to the meeting, he had dialed his mother in Oakdale and told her everything. Well… not everything. He didn't tell her about the attempt on Noah's life, just that he had met Noah; and that Noah had agreed to live with him.

She was ecstatic for him.

"Oh baby!" she gushed. "You have no idea how much I wished to hear you talk like this when you first started seeing Reid. I knew you weren't in love with him. You were just too young to understand that."

"And now?" Luke asked her.

"Now you sound exactly like a child on Christmas Eve. You sound happy, baby."

"I am happy, Mom. I can't even put it into words."

She laughed. "I know the feeling. And I can't wait to meet him!"

"I can't wait to show him off!" Luke giggled. "He's freaking gorgeous!"

"I'd expect nothing less from my beautiful boy!"

"Well, I have to go Mom. I have a meeting starting in a few minutes. But I just couldn't wait to tell you."

"Okay, Luke. I'm off to catch your father up on the news! Love you."

"Back at 'cha, Mom."

That conversation and the amazing night he'd spent in Noah's arms kept playing in his head as the meeting dragged on. Finding it impossible to concentrate on work, he decided to take the rest of the day off.

Once the meeting ended, Luke walked quickly back to his office only to find Reid waiting for him.

"Woman's Weekly?" Reid waved a copy of the magazine at Luke. "You can't do better in your reception area than Woman's Weekly? I've been bored shitless over here!"

Luke smiled. Even now he couldn't help but find Reid's dry personality hilarious.

"Well," Luke shrugged "women aged 18-34 are our demographic, Reid. That would be why."

Reid huffed as though still unconvinced.

"So…" Luke asked, reaching his chair and throwing his notes on the desk. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to give you this." Expressionless, he stood and handed Luke a large envelope.

"What is it?" Luke asked, frowning.

"Don't be a bozo! It's the divorce papers of course! Signed, sealed and delivered as requested."

"Oh," a surprised Luke whispered. He stared down at the envelope, realizing for the first time the finality of it. "I see."

Seeing his reaction, Reid sat back down.

"You're not going to fight me on it?" Luke asked.

"I was." Reid said flatly. "In fact, the plan was to get you back."

Luke saw something move behind Reid's eyes. But the doctor's face betrayed nothing.

"But I'm a realist as you know," he continued. "I know when I've lost."

"There was never any competition, Reid."

"Maybe…" Reid nodded. "…at least not until you met my nephew."

To Luke's surprise, Reid smiled, "He makes you happy."

Luke nodded, shocked at how he suddenly felt a little sad.

"Well," Reid sighed. "That's something at least!"

Luke sniffed. "Thank you."

It was Reid's turn to nod.

"No," Luke continued, "not just for signing the papers. I mean for everything. For the times that were good. For the things you taught me. And most of all, for understanding… about Noah. You were a big support after he was shot and…"

"Yeah, yeah…" Reid sang. "Don't get all sappy on me! You know I hate it!"

"You're the most truthful guy I know…" Luke smiled, "except of course when it comes to having extra marital affairs…"

Reid snorted.

"…but when you say you hate all the sappy shit? That's when I know you're lying."

Reid shared a deep glance with Luke, and right away Luke saw that flash he had always known was there. It appeared for only an instant but was gone just as quickly.

"Anyway," Distant Reid was back, choosing to ignore Luke's last comment. "Since you appear to have forgiven me for the affairs, what are the chances of me having my car back?"

Luke shook his head at Reid's tenacity.

"It was a gift after all!" Reid reminded him.

Luke smiled. "We'll see…"

The awkwardness between the two men was interrupted by the ringing of Luke's cell phone.

"Excuse me for a minute."

Luke placed the envelope down on his desk before picking up his phone, "Hello?"

"Luke!" It was as frantic Maddie.

"Maddie?" Luke's eyes darted between Reid and the floor. "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard from Noah in the past few hours?"

Luke instantly felt the dread.

"No, he was still asleep when I left home this morning. Why?"

"Greg was here! He knocked me out last night."

"WHAT? WHERE?"

"Last night, when I was closing up the theatre, he surprised me and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was alone. But Noah's bag is here!"

Luke's heart froze.

"Luke, I think he's in trouble!"

While Luke was trying to get more information from the frenzied Maddie, Reid's cell phone buzzed. Caller ID said number unknown.

"Hey baby, it's Greg!"

"Greg?"

Even while he was still on the phone to Maddie, Luke caught the name from Reid's lips and turned toward him, wide-eyed.

"I have a present for you."

Sensing Luke's distress, Reid raised his hand to Luke signaling him to remain quiet while he humored the psychotic Greg. "You do, ha?"

"Yeah! Look, I know you're mad about the whole Noah screw up! That was my bad! I should have been more careful! I really fucked up!"

"Yes you did." Reid kept his voice even.

"Anyway, I want to make it up to you. We can still do this. You know, get the money and split."

Reid frowned in Luke's direction.

"How do you propose we do that?" he asked Greg.

"Your husband's the key Reid! Don't you see? He's sweet on Noah. We can use that!"

"Use it how?"

"I'm already working on that! Meet me and I'll tell you all about it."

...

Something burned in his stomach. He coughed, trying to ease the discomfort.

It became clear to him then that his cheek lay upon something hard and cold. He forced his eyes to open.

But his vision was impaired and he had to close them quickly when the room spun unfocused before him.

He was about to drift off again when a terrible thought came to him.

"Maddie!"

Noah bolted to his feet, backing up and slamming into a wall. Breathing heavily, he scanned the room.

He knew this place.

It was the attic at the theatre. Noah always hated it, especially as a child. It was filled with discarded manikins, mirrors and old wardrobe from the days before the dramatic theatre became a cinema. Noah had always found it creepy and had avoided the room most of his life.

The lone fluorescent light kept blinking and it took a while for him to focus on the bulky man sitting before him.

Greg rocked back in a small wooden chair, eyeing Noah with a sly smile on his lips; his eyes conveying an extreme level of malevolence and anger.

Noah's heart began to beat faster at the look of pure intent on Greg's face. But he drew himself up anyway, ready for the fight he knew would come.

"Where's Maddie?" he demanded.

"She's alive," Greg shrugged. "…for now."

Noah struggled to calm his breathing. Every breath seemed to burn through him like fire. He coughed again.

A throbbing in his side drew his eyes down to his T-shirt stained with blood. The stitches of the bullet wound must have ripped open.

"What do you want?"

"What do I want? I want what's mine… what I'm fucking owed. You fucked me for the last time kid!"

Noah tensed as Greg stood and stepped toward him. He centered his stance lifting his fists, and as Greg drew near enough he punched as fast as a vipers strike. Once! Twice! Each fist connecting to one side of Greg's face.

Noah was fairly strong and well built. If he had hit a normal-sized person like it would have done some serious damage. But Greg was no ordinary person and although his head was thrown back by each blow, his body was not. He drew up his own fist and smacked Noah hard across the face.

Already weakened by the chloroform, Noah staggered half blinded by the sudden pain, stars flashing behind his eyes as he collapsed to the floor.

Before he could recover, Greg had his hands bound behind his back.

Grabbed by his shoulders, Noah was forced onto his knees. The man's fingers twisted tight in Noah's hair and jerked back his head, hard, holding it canted at an awkward angle.

Noah felt the bile of vomit rise in his throat and tried to turn his head away. He struggled to break free from the man's hold as Greg continued to viciously yank Noah's hair and bring him back into line.

"That's it! Fight me!" Greg gleefully said. "C'mon… it's so much more fun!"

Greg kissed him, tongue thrusting; one palm cupping the back of his head to keep Noah from pulling away, the other hand still tugging hard on his hair. His mouth was rancid.

When he finished, Greg drew back and delivered another powerful fist to Noah's lower jaw.

Thrown off balance, Noah fell forward on his chest, gagging and coughing, the strings of saliva from his mouth tinged red with blood. He coughed and spat, and spat again, trying to clear his mouth of the metallic taste that dwelled there.

"Mmm." Greg hummed with pleasure, grabbing from behind at Noah's upper arms and bringing his face close to his. "This is a great game, isn't it?"

An angry Noah had had enough! He lowered his head and swung around fast. His forehead struck against bone and Greg uttered a sharp cry of surprise, loosening his grip.

Noah wrenched free and ran, but when he reached the closed trap door leading out of the attic, he realized just how trapped he was. With his hands bound, there was no escape.

Greg manically laughed behind him.

"Going somewhere, Sweet Cheeks?"

Noah turned, gasping for air and ready to bolt out of the man's way should Greg make a move toward him.

A thick dribble of blood flowed from one of Greg's nostrils. It ran over his upper lip, thin lines of red showing between his teeth, and dripping slowly from his chin.

"Now kid? I have a very important meeting to get to and I need you to behave."

Noah was shivering with fear. He knew he was no match for Greg's strength. There was no telling what Greg would do.

"Fuck you!" he answered. He wasn't about to let Greg touch him… at least not without a fight.

"Now!" Greg ordered.

"Didn't you hear me?" Noah yelled. "I'm through being your victim."

"Look," Greg said calmly, "either you sit down like a good little boy or… I'll take a finger off that sweet little girlfriend of yours."

Maddie!

Noah shook his head, holding back tears of frustration. Eventually he knew Greg had won. He couldn't risk any further harm coming to his best friend.

A shaking Noah took a seat in the chair as ordered. He didn't fight as Greg licked a path up his cheek, nor when Greg doused his yellow cloth with chloroform and used it to render him unconscious once more.


	20. Chapter 20

Reid agreed to meet with Greg at a back street drinking hole called the Blackbird Saloon. Reid had suggested they meet later in the afternoon primarily to buy Luke and the cops some time.

As soon as the location was set, Luke was on the phone with Detective Marco.

"What time is the meeting?" the cop asked.

"3 p.m. He's got Noah, Detective. I just know it!"

"Okay, Luke. Keep calm. We already have a unit heading over to the theatre to check on your friend. I want you and Dr. Oliver to stay put. I'll be there soon with a team. This meeting must be handled with extreme caution."

Luke agreed and after hanging up tried Noah's number one more time. Still there was no answer so instead he telephoned the main reception desk in his apartment building. The security guard confirmed that Noah had left early that morning.

"I can't believe this!" he said to Reid has he hung up.

"If Noah is with Greg then he's alive." Reid attempted to make Luke feel better, "I know why Greg would take him."

"You do?"

"I'm thinking he's somehow figured out that you and Noah are an item. He's desperate, penniless and perhaps he thinks he can-"

"…hold Noah to ransom?" Luke finished. "Oh God!"

Luke ran his hands through his bangs and spent the next few minutes creating a worn path in his office carpet, all the while wondering what kind of hell Greg was putting Noah through.

It didn't take Detective Marco and his six-member team long to arrive.

"What do we do?" Luke asked.

"Well," the detective said, "if Dr. Oliver is willing, we want him to wear a wire. Hopefully Chilton will give up Noah's location and we can rescue Noah safely, before Chilton even knows his plan's been discovered.

The entire team looked over to Reid.

"Are you willing?" Marco asked him.

Reid looked over at Luke, who pleaded back with his eyes.

"Sure," Reid sighed, "Fine. Whatever."

Even though he was somewhat irritated at being fussed with, Reid stood shirtless and still while the cops' electronics expert taped the tiny microphone to his chest.

"Okay. Now, Dr. Oliver?" the detective instructed, "Whatever you do stay calm. Keep him believing you're on his side and support his plan. You need to win his trust. He's not going to show his cards easily."

Reid nodded.

"We'll be listening in to everything. If he gives up the location then we'll swoop in and arrest him. Be aware that Chilton may want you to go with him. In which case we will follow. Understood?"

"Yes."

...

Noah woke up vomiting into a dirty strip of cloth Chilton had used to gag him. The rag was wrapped firmly around his head, running within his mouth and between his teeth.

The vomit almost drowned him. But he dropped his head forward to stop it from returning back down his throat.

The bitter fumes of bile burning through his nose and throat were nothing compared to the pain in his head; a series of pulsating and jarring throbs that blurred his vision.

He experienced a moment of sharp panic, unable to move or even remember anything before waking up here… wherever here was.

He instinctively jerked, yanking at his wrists, clenching his teeth as his head reeled from the effort. There was something around his wrists. He was tied up!

He struggled until a surge of nausea threatened to bring on more vomiting.

The breath through his nose was quick and short and his body quivered as he finally collapsed with exhaustion from the effort of it all.

"Lu… Luke?" The gag prevented much sound from escaping.

Cold sweat ran down his face and burned his eyes. He willed them open.

The room seemed to be revolving around him in a fuzzy kaleidoscope of color.

And he was thirsty… so very thirsty.

"Where am I?" Again, the words came out as nothing but a stifled moan.

His jaw ached making his temple thump.

He knew this kind of pain well. He'd been hit. But it wasn't the blow that was making him feel this way.

He groaned as another teeth-clenching wave consumed his skull, squeezing his eyes shut as it passed over him.

Greg!

The shock of memory was so great that he momentarily forgot the pain and scrambled to sit up; kicking at the floor to move his body back up against a solid wall. That way no one could come up behind him.

Noah's eyes scanned the room.

Realizing he was alone he tried to stand. But he was instantly jerked back to the floor by something holding his arms. He jiggled his hands behind him and discovered he was chained to a radiator.

...

"I promised him." Luke sighed under a trembling breath just as Reid climbed into the police cruiser taking him over to the saloon to meet with Greg.

"What's that?" Reid asked shifting uncomfortably as the bug's battery pack dug into his back.

Luke shook his head, standing by the open car door. "I promised he was safe! I promised I'd look after him!"

"C'mon, Luke. You couldn't have known Greg would pull something like this! Even the cops didn't think he was that clever."

Reid looked up at his soon to be ex and experienced the strangest feeling in the pit of his stomach. Could it actually be a tinge of guilt?

Damn!

Reid couldn't think how he had gotten Greg so wrong. Being smarter than most, he was usually able to read people pretty easily and up to a few days ago… accurately.

To Reid, Greg was nothing more than a small-minded idiot with an amazing physique - perfect manipulation material.

Reid hired Greg purely for his body and for seduction purposes. That was the honest truth. The guy was seriously buff! And as the years progressed, his body only improved.

However, the sex didn't!

So doped up on steroids Greg's sexual stamina swiftly twiddled down to zero. Reid had begun to tire of Greg years ago. It was pure indifference that made Reid leave Greg in charge of the theatre and living at the house.

After all, there was nothing wrong with the way Greg did his job.

In fact he never considered or worried about what Greg thought at all. Perhaps this had been his mistake.

Reid never knew the kind of jeopardy he was putting his nephew and mother in when he moved the strange man into the house and theatre. The thought that Greg might harm a member of his family never crossed his mind.

It was only when Greg made the suggestion to switch his mother's medication for sugar pills that Reid really began to question the man's sanity.

But even then he never believed the coward would actually go through with it! Reid was sure Greg would behave and do as he was instructed.

Reid now realized that his effect on Greg had been far greater than he thought. The guy had somehow gotten it into his thick skull that he and Reid were in a relationship.

And they would one day ride off into the sunset together. As if!

Chances were the steroids had somehow messed with the man's brain because Reid had never promised him any such thing.

"I'll bring Noah back to you," Reid told Luke, before pulling closed the car door.

He was shaking his leg and fidgeting as the vehicle pulled away from the curb. Reid was nervous; another extremely alien emotion for the great Dr. Oliver. He'd been having a lot of those lately.

He wasn't afraid of Greg. He knew how to handle the guy. What he feared was screwing up things for Luke… again.

He'd made a royal fucking mess of his marriage to Luke. If he managed to get Greg to lead him to Noah, it might just redeem him in Luke's eyes. He actually did love Luke on some level.

But that realization came way too late.

There was no way that Reid or anybody else had any hope of coming between Luke and Noah. Whatever it was that buzzed between the two younger men… it was something special; unbreakable.

Unless of course Greg managed to kill one or both of them.

...

Noah lay shivering from cold and fear in the unheated room. His stomach burned, his throat stung, his head throbbed and the anticipation of the torture to come was sheer hell.

He wondered why this monster from his childhood didn't just get on with it and kill him.

He just wanted it over.

But where was Greg? Surely killing Noah was why Greg had come back. Surely he had come back to exact his revenge at Noah for messing up his plans by not dying?

The most terrifying answer to that question lay in the taste of Greg's foul mouth on his; a taste that refused to dissipate despite the vomiting. It hinted at the certainty that Greg wasn't finished.

Greg had tried on numerous occasions over the years to do more than just touch Noah, coming perilously close at times. It was only Noah's pure determination and sense of self preservation that had prevented things from ever getting that far.

And as Noah grew older and stronger, he was more able to fight off the man's advances. But now he was drugged and bound; basically unable to defend himself, while the immeasurably stronger Greg was close to stone cold sober.

Noah was growing more and more frightened. Not only did his fate appear sealed, but it was likely he would not live to see Luke again.

...

At 2:45 p.m. the police cruiser parked a few blocks up from the Blackbird Saloon. A NYPD surveillance van pulled in behind it.

Reid's legs felt a little rubbery as he got out of the car.

"Remember how Detective Marco told you to play it…" said Officer Malone, coming around from the front of the car. "Just keep Chilton happy. Keep him talking. Get him to tell you… and us… where Noah is."

Reid nodded.

"The bar is just two blocks down that way on the left." Malone pointed out. "You can't miss it."

Without another word, Reid turned and made his way up the street, looking back just once to see the police vehicles disappear into a back alley.

"Here goes nothing," he whispered.

He couldn't believe this was what his life had been reduced to; playing hero to his husband's boyfriend. It would almost have been funny if it wasn't real.

"Oh… you have got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed with disgust when he first laid eyes on the dive bar.

If the outside… guarded by trash cans overflowing with garbage and god knew what else… was any indication, Reid hated to imagine what was going on inside.

He caught sight of a handprint starting high up on one window; smearing downward in what he was sure was dried excrement. Human or otherwise… he dare not care to know.

Thinking of Luke he grimaced, using his shoulder to push open the door and holding his breath as he entered.

"If I catch any rare diseases," Reid thought. "Luke is so paying the treatment bill!"

Little attention was paid to him as he made a sticky path across the creaky barroom floor. He decided to stand at the end of the rail. He certainly didn't want to risk touching anything by sitting down.

"Whatyahave?" the barman asked before spitting a wad of chewed tobacco out the side of his mouth and straight onto the floor.

A shiver of horrified disgust ran up Reid's spine.

He absolutely did not want to drink or eat a solitary thing from the godforsaken place. But still he nodded and ended up ordering a beer.

This was a far cry from the luxury wine bars in Manhattan that was for sure!

When his drink arrived looking as russet as a muddy stream Reid at first thought something must be wrong with the beer. But on closer inspection, he realized the glass was so soiled as to have been stained a yellowish, brown tea color.

He hid a dry heave and resolved to leave the drink where the barman had placed it.

"Reid!" The sound of an excited voice reminded him why he was there in the first place.

He turned to find Greg making his way across the bar.

Reid restrained himself from doing a double take. The usually well-groomed man looked like crap. He'd obviously not had a decent shower in days and his usually sandy-colored hair had been dyed a pitch black; the longish locks slicked back with grease.

His face wore a nervous, paranoid expression that immediately put Reid on edge.

Quickly composing himself in his usual practiced manner, Reid produced his most welcoming smirk; and returned Greg's hug as the man reached him.

"I missed ya, baby." Greg said in his ear. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes." Reid simply said. Just behaving as he always did around Greg.

Greg pulled out of the hug and created a distance between their bodies. Reid was actually grateful since the type of person known to frequent this particular bar, would most likely not take kindly to an openly gay show of affection. It meant Greg would keep his hands clear and Reid wouldn't have to come up with some excuse to make him.

Greg's body odor didn't leave much to the imagination and his breath stank of smoke and cheap whiskey.

On close inspection, Reid could tell that his nose was definitely broken.

"What happened to your face?" asked Reid.

"Consider it a war wound," Greg replied. "While serving in the line of duty for my man!"

Reid didn't press for an explanation. He thought staying quiet would be his best bet to finding out where Greg had hidden Noah.

"You're not still mad at me, are ya Baby?" Greg pouted. "I did it all for us, you know? All of it!"

"Yes, I know." Reid replied. "I was angry. But now I understand. You did it for me."

"Did it for us! So we could finally get our money and be together, forever."

"Sure."

"Look, I know the hit on Noah didn't work out. But I have a new decent plan all worked out."

"Care to share the details?"

"Sure! All we need to do is tap that husband of yours."

Reid felt a deep abhorrence along with a raging anger rising in his chest. He held both these emotions at bay.

"And… how do you suggest we do that?"

Greg smiled at him slyly. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"Come on Greg! Cut the bullshit and just tell me what the fuck you're on about."

"Don't get mad, Baby? Just go along with me. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

Reid sighed. He definitely didn't want to go anywhere with this man. But if it would lead to Noah then he'd do it.


	21. Chapter 21

Luke usually loved Christmas. It signified family, hope and love.

But now as he trudged through the freshly fallen snow, he felt mocked by the elaborate Brooklyn department store window displays, towering Christmas trees and wreaths hanging from nearly every street light.

How dare the city be excited about the coming holiday season when Noah's life was in such peril?

This thought struck home even more when he and Det. Marco approached the theatre. The building appeared bleak and depressing in comparison to its neighbors. With everything that had happened, nobody had been around to decorate the old movie house for the season.

Luke didn't want to be there. He wanted to go with Reid and the surveillance team. But Marco wouldn't allow it. He insisted Luke go with him to the theatre to check on Maddie.

Luke had agreed to go since he simply couldn't sit around waiting to hear whether Reid had been successful.

At least if he went to the theatre and spoke to Maddie; and maybe even had a look around himself; he would feel like he was doing something to help.

"I'm so sorry Maddie." he said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"God, Luke, what for?"

"I feel like…" He shook his head. "I feel like I somehow set this all in motion."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You're the reason why Noah's still alive at all!"

A confused Luke frowned at her.

"Don't you see?" She gripped his arms. "Things were already set in motion. Juliet still would have died. The will would have been read; and Greg still would have set out to eliminate Noah. You are not responsible for any of this."

He nodded. Deep down he knew she was right.

"It was only because you found out about Greg hiring that hit man that we stopped it."

"But that's just the thing. We didn't stop it." His shoulders sagged with the weight of his fear. "Greg managed to get to Noah in the end, didn't he?"

Maddie's face was filled with concern and sympathy.

"Luke," she said, rubbing his arm. "Don't give up, okay? You may just be Noah's salvation a second time."

"How?"

"Greg doesn't know you made peace with Reid." She told him. "He doesn't know Reid's working with the cops. Keep that in mind."

Luke smiled at her. "I can see why Noah likes you so much."

"Thanks. The feeling's mutual."

They gave each other another comforting hug ending with Luke wiping away tears.

"Uhm…" Luke cleared his throat. "So what exactly happened?"

Maddie took him by the hand and led him out of the ticket office while Marco was being briefed by the investigating officer.

"Greg used my phone to text Noah, telling him to come here."

Luke sighed. "So Noah would think you needed help?"

She nodded.

"What about you?" Luke asked. "Are you okay? Greg didn't hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head.

"Last thing I remember was struggling against an awful smelly cloth he held over my mouth and nose. The paramedic who looked me over thought perhaps it could have been chloroform."

"God, Maddie! You must have been terrified."

"That's for sure! But not half as terrified as when I found Noah's bag and jacket down here!"

Luke thought for a moment.

"Can you show me where you woke up?"

"Why?"

"I don't know." Luke shrugged. "I just feel like I need to be doing something."

She smiled and pulled him by the hand once more. They climbed the metal staircase to the top platform and Luke examined the space.

The projector hadn't been disturbed. Maddie showed him the spot where she woke up. Nothing. Not a clue.

Then Luke walked to the end of the platform and behind a shelf containing old metal film canisters. A ladder was pulled out leading up to an opened trap door in the ceiling.

"Maddie, what's up there?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, coming around the shelf to join him. She gasped. "I have no idea. I didn't even know there was a room up there!"

Luke stared at her. "Are you telling me this ladder isn't usually here?" He didn't wait to see her nod. He had already climbed halfway up.

"Noah!" He yelled into the loft.

As soon as his feet reached the wooden floor, he took off past the rows of mannequins, mirrors and other theatre paraphernalia.

His heart was thumping. Was this the place? Was Noah here?

He came out to a cleared section at the back of the loft and spun around in his desperate search. It was empty.

He bent over and gripped his knees in disappointment, before standing back upright and running his hands over his head.

"Luke?"

Maddie caught up with him. Luke shook his head at her.

"Nothing."

The flash of hope in her eyes died just as quickly as his had done. Luke turned to make his way back to the trap door, when he heard Maddie cry out.

When he looked back at the horror on her face, he followed her gaze to the wooden floor and a small pool of blood.

...

Still bound and gagged, Noah had managed to move over and lie on his side on the floor of the dirty, cold motel room. To take his mind off of the pain and discomfort, Noah had started counting hours ago.

He was approaching the 3,500 mark, when he heard the key turn in the lock.

He quickly sat up and shifted backward to lean against the wall.

It was difficult to control the panic when the only way to get air was to breathe through his nose.

He tried to focus on that as he watched the door fling open. He froze in horror when, instead of Greg, he came face to face with his Uncle Reid.

Reid betrayed nothing as he focused on Noah with Greg following two steps behind him.

Greg closed the door and pulled Reid back against it before pressing their lips together in a frenzied kiss.

"Reid's in on it?" a shocked Noah thought.

As the two men broke apart, Greg nodded toward Noah and turned back to Reid.

"Like your present?" he proudly smirked.

Noah felt overwhelming revulsion as his uncle walked over and crouched down in front of him. Reid seemed to be studying every part of Noah, all the way up from his feet to his head.

The younger man flinched as a stone-faced Reid leaned forward to press a finger under Noah's ear, lingering there for a few seconds.

Noah tried to move his head away but couldn't. So he simply glared at the man.

"You want to play with it?" Greg offered.

Noah immediately stiffened.

Reid stood and took a moment before turning to face Greg.

"I'd rather play with you."

"With pleasure!" Greg smiled. "Come here baby."

Noah squeezed his eyes shut. If only his hands weren't bound, then he could cover his ears.

He wanted to cry.

But to his relief, it appeared sex wasn't on the cards.

"So… what's the plan?" asked Reid.

"You call Snyder. Tell him if he wants the boy toy back, it'll cost him $20 million deposited in an overseas bank account." Greg twisted Reid's wrist to check the time. "…by 8 tonight." He pushed a slip of paper with the account number into the doctor's hand. "If Snyder refuses to pay up or brings in the cops, the love of his life will be swimming with the fishes by midnight."

Noah's eyes shot open.

...

From a quick visual assessment, Reid determined Noah had no broken bones. He did notice how a slow trickle of blood, apparently from the gunshot wound, had stained his thin T-shirt, mixing with dried vomit.

Noah wasn't in the greatest shape physically. But his pulse appeared strong and Reid figured he'd live.

The captive's mental health was a different story, according to the doctor. Reid could feel the hate radiating from the kid. He couldn't exactly blame Noah.

Meanwhile, kissing Greg was like kissing a month-old rotting fish. It took all of Reid's strength not to hurl at tasting Greg on his mouth. But staying in character as Greg's lover was the only way to win his trust. He had to sell it if he wanted to get Noah and himself out of there alive.

...

Reid held his phone in his hand, listened to Greg's ransom demands; and called Luke.

The NYPD police cruiser carrying Luke and Detective Marco snaked through rush hour traffic toward the stakeout at the hotel. Some five blocks away from their destination, Luke's cell phone buzzed.

"Reid!" a desperate Luke answered.

Marco quickly leaned in to listen and to silently motion to Luke to remain as calm as he could. At the same time, he had their driver silence the car's police siren.

"Hello Luke."

"Is Noah there? Is he okay?"

Marco shoved his notebook in Luke's face. "Chilton's probably listening," he'd written.

Luke nodded.

"Yes. Everything is fine." Reid calmly said.

A relieved Luke slumped down.

"We need to discuss demands." Reid continued.

"Let me talk to Noah first." Luke gasped.

"Just listen right now."

Luke released a long breath.

"Okay Reid. I'm listening."

"We have Noah."

Tears spilled out the corners of Luke's eyes as Reid paused to give Greg the impression he was waiting for Luke's reaction.

"Noah will not be harmed as long as you deposit $20 million into an offshore bank account. I'll text you the account details after this phone call. This has to be done within two hours, Luke, if you want to see Noah again. Is that understood?"

"Yes… yes. Now let me talk to Noah?" Luke begged.

"Hold on."

He held his breath as he heard Reid moving about. He could hear Greg muttering as he removed Noah's gag.

"Luke?" Noah's voice sounded weak and terribly fearful. But it was him. "Is that you?"

"Hey bubby…"

"Luke, Maddie?"

"She's safe." Luke heard Noah sigh with relief. "How about you? Has he hurt you?"

"I'm okay. I just want to come home to you."

"I know. I'm working on that. Reid told-"

"Luke?" It was Reid. "People always get what's coming to them."

Luke released a sob at the sudden disconnection from Noah. "Look out for him. Please Reid."

"I will. Now don't waste any more time."

...

Hearing Luke's voice shattered Noah's emotional wall and the tears began to flow. He was surely going to die and those words were the last he'd ever hear from Luke. He didn't even get a chance to tell Luke one last time that he loved him.

He hated Reid; almost as much as he hated Greg.

Greg retied the gag making it even tighter this time.

"Mmm," Noah moaned in pain from it.

"Shut up!" Greg yelled from the bed, where he and Reid lay kissing and stroking one another; celebrating their success.

"What do you say we check that account?" Reid suggested.

Greg leapt off the bed and dashed over to the table where his laptop sat waiting. He clicked at the mouse a few times as Reid come up behind him; peering around his shoulder at the screen.

"Holy FUCK!" Greg yelled. "It's there! Woohoo! Twenty big ones!"

Reid turned and made his way toward Noah. "You did it," he called back to Greg. "You got the cash."

For a moment, Noah remained focused totally on Reid, trying to slide down the wall away from him. He didn't see Greg come up behind Reid.

It was a flash of silver that drew Noah's attention back to Greg, just in time to see the mad man plunge a knife into Reid's side.

Sucking in a loaded breath, Reid expelled a cry of agony. "Aaaaaah!"

He dropped to his knees with a look of utmost shock. His thumb and forefinger encircled the blade where it pierced deeply through his skin and he fell backward onto the carpet.

Noah's mouth dropped open as Uncle and nephew shared a long, panicky stare.


	22. Chapter 22

"Mmmph!" Noah desperately tried to scream.

His uncle lay stabbed before him.

"Thank you so much, Reid." Greg was quite pleased with himself. He was rich! He could pay off his gambling debts and head for Mexico.

Reid panted as he tried to compose himself. He lifted up onto his left elbow to decrease painful pressure on his wound.

The sight of Reid in pain and Noah gagged and bound gave Greg such an euphoric high, better than anything he ever gotten out of a bottle or from a needle.

"Now all I do is dump you both in the river; and the cops will think it was you," he smiled at Reid, "who killed Noah and stole the dough."

Reid actually let out a laugh at that.

Greg was surprised by the laugh but simply smiled back at him.

"But first…" he ambled over to Noah, who immediately pulled back as far as he could get. "There's something I want."

He squatted down beside the kid; and ran his hand up between Noah's legs. He loved the look of sheer horror on Noah's face. It served to fuel his desire even further.

The kid had certainly grown into one fine-looking man. Greg rubbed at him. He was so horny with thoughts of what he would do that he failed to see Noah's quick flash of temper.

He was caught completely off-guard, when Noah lifted one leg and kicked him hard with a loud grunt. The force of the kick to his chest sent Greg reeling back into the side of the bed.

Greg laughed then; an uncontrollable, belly-rocking laugh. His hysterics went on until the moment he noticed that another laugh had joined his. He stopped and peered over at Reid.

The man had himself up on both elbows now and he was laughing, tears running down his cheeks. It was a deep uproarious laugh, so unlike Reid that Greg felt suddenly uneasy.

It was clear that Noah also found his uncle's laugh extremely disturbing.

"What the fuck do you think is so funny?" Greg asked. "You're dying man!"

Reid took a few minutes to catch his breath from the pain and the laughter.

"Maybe so." he said. "But not before I see you go down."

Greg stood and approached him, his entire bulk looming over the injured doctor.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Reid lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal the electronic bug taped to his ribs. The knife had missed hitting it by less than a millimeter.

Greg's mouth dropped open.

"That's right, _Babe_." Reid smirked. "The cops are right outside and have been listening in to every word."

"You're bluffing." Greg prayed.

Just then the wailing sound of police sirens swirled about the building and an unmistakable blue light flashed through the room's grubby curtain.

Taking care to stand clear of the windows, Greg flattened himself to the wall and peered outside. The motel's parking lot was swarming with SWAT team members taking up positions on the ground, fire escapes and nearby rooftops.

"Gregory Chilton! This is the NYPD," a voice bellowed through a bull horn. "There is no escape. Release the hostages and come out with your hands on your head."

"SHIT!" Greg screeched! "How could you? How could you do this to me?"

"Says the guy who just stuck me with a knife." Reid snorted even as he grimaced in pain.

Greg looked around frantically. There was no way! There was absolutely no fucking way that he was going to prison.

His eyes fell back on Noah and he hurried over; unlocking the chain that held the young man to the radiator and lifting him roughly to his feet.

Noah stumbled, still weak from being drugged.

Greg gripped an arm around his throat and steered him toward the door, opening it and cautiously moving to stand in the doorway.

...

"Noah!" yelled Luke as he stood up behind the open door of a police cruiser.

With Noah serving as a human shield, Greg started to approach. Luke instinctively moved forward only to be yanked back by a cop.

A torturous three minutes of listening in on Reid and Greg's exchange had led to the parking lot showdown.

Marco yanked out his ear bud in disgust when Reid revealed the wire.

"Shit!" he exclaimed. "What the hell is Oliver doing? Now Chilton's gonna get desperate!"

Shortly after that Greg and Noah appeared in the open doorway of the motel room.

"Hold fire." Marco bellowed.

A trembling Noah continued to stumble, forcing Greg to keep both of them upright.

"Get me a damn car now or else I'll kill him," a desperate Greg screamed. "I can snap his neck faster than you can shoot and you know it!"

Marco and the other cops were well aware of the Herculean strength in Greg's arms.

All the while, Luke's eyes remained fixed on Noah, trying to impart as much love and reassurance as he could to the petrified hostage.

"Give it up Chilton. There is nowhere for you to go."

"I mean it!" Greg insisted bringing a bent arm to rest against the side of Noah's head. "Get me a car right now or the kid dies!"

While Greg was making the threat, a police sharpshooter lying on a nearby roof trained his gun scope on the suspect.

"I can't get a clear shot off without hitting the hostage," he radioed to Marco, who tried again to get Greg to surrender.

"Look around Chilton," he gestured. "It's over. We know about the pill switch and the hit man you hired."

The strangest look crossed over Greg's features. It was as though his face had previously been covered by a thin veil and this now lifted as the reality of the predicament he was in became clear.

"Even if we did let you out of here," Marco continued through the bullhorn. "You'll never see one dime of the money. You can be sure of that!"

Greg nodded then, a look of serious contemplation on his brow.

"I'd rather die than spend the rest of my life in prison and…" he said, shaking Noah, "if I have to die, then I'm taking him with me."

"NO!" Luke yelled out as he watched Greg's hands came to rest on either side of Noah's head.

But before Greg could make good on his threat, his eyes bulged with shock and he suddenly slacked.

He swayed in place for a moment before dropping like a rag doll to the ground

An exhausted Noah fell to the side to reveal Reid with one hand pressed against a profusely bleeding wound and the other holding fast to a blood-spattered knife.

Absolute chaos seemed to rain down on them all.

Marco and the other cops moved forward to secure Greg.

An emergency services team carried Reid back into the motel room and laid him flat on the floor while they examined him.

Luke scrambled to Noah's side.

"Noah?"

As he came too, Noah's first reaction to Luke's touch was to flinch and fly backward from him. He made small noises in the back of his throat and his breathing was incredibly labored through his nose.

His blue eyes searched the world in front of him with desperation until finally they came to rest on Luke.

"It's okay, bubby. It's over."

Luke knelt before Noah and leaned around to untie the gag covering his mouth. Noah coughed and sputtered the moment it was removed, gasping for air.

Once recovered, his eyes returned to Luke's and Luke smiled at him, nodding. "It's me."

"Luke?"

"Yes."

Luke took a shoulder in each hand and spent a moment just staring at him, waiting for him to calm. When he felt Noah was ready he moved forward and hugged him in close.

At first Noah was rigid; his body alert in readiness to defend itself. But after just a few moments he slackened into Luke, Luke's chest holding him up as they kneeled together.

Luke smoothed his hands down Noah's arms until he felt where they'd been tied. He fumbled at the knot but it wouldn't break free.

Using a pair of surgical scissors, a nearby paramedic quickly cut the bindings lose.

Luke drew back and Noah's hands lifted to find Luke's face, making sure he was there. Luke held Noah's wrists, gently rubbing the deep red marks with his thumbs.

"It's all over." Luke told him.

Noah breathed and closed his eyes for a second.

"Shit, Noah!" Luke exclaimed at seeing blood trickling from the gunshot wound. "You're bleeding!"

"It's okay." Noah said with a swallow. "I'm okay."

He wrapped himself around Luke, finally succumbing to exhaustion and flopping loose into Luke's arms.

"Luke?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

At that moment Luke turned his head just in time to see the paramedic working on Greg drape a sheet over his lifeless body.


	23. Chapter 23

Noah had never seen a place more beautiful than Snyder Farm in Oakdale, Illinois.

The old white farmhouse with dark green shutters sat on a ridge overlooking an immense snow-covered field that dropped low and swept forward before vanishing under a sparking pond; now frozen solid.

At the back of the house, quaint wooden fences formed the paddocks for the horses Luke had so eagerly introduced one by one to Noah; promising that they would find a moment to go riding.

Noah had never ridden a horse. But he loved the idea of mimicking the cowboys in the western movies of his childhood.

"I'm sure you'll make for a convincing John Wayne. Maybe I shoulda got you a Stetson for Christmas?" Luke had teased, ruffling his hair in a way that immediately led to a quick romp in the hay; creating a memory destined to always bring a smile to Noah's face.

The interior of the farmhouse was just as fantastic. A warm and welcoming home beautifully decorated with old rustic furniture and cross-stitched cushions, framed by shelves stocked with canned fruit and vegetables and vintage appliances in its heart – the kitchen.

It was exactly as a person would imagine a farm should be. Exactly the right place to spend Christmas with the person you love.

The house was decorated in every way for Christmas. Large old-fashioned holiday bulbs adorned outdoor trees while mini-lights blanketed indoor plants. Christmas ornaments festooned every available surface; and candles flickered and roaring log fires burned day and night. The smell of cinnamon flavoring Christmas cookies, sweet potatoes and apple pies seemed to reach every corner of the home.

But by far the most amazing thing about Snyder Farm were the people connected to the land and to each other. Luke's family was incredible. There seemed to be a continual stream of them and every person welcomed Noah with open arms; like he was a long lost relative.

How was he ever going to remember all their names? But he sure as hell was going to make an effort to try.

Up until that Christmas, Noah had known such intense family love only from his grandmother. Never before had he been surrounded by so much of it, so freely given to being almost overwhelming.

"Okay, Bubby?" Luke asked him now, as Noah stood out in the front yard watching the fading afternoon sunlight play on the icy pond. Noah turned to see Luke arrive from inside the house, where his little brother, Ethan, had for a while monopolized his attention.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you ever move to New York?"

Luke grinned widely. "So you like it here, do ya?"

Noah smiled shyly. "I never even knew places like this existed! I thought a place like this only existed in movies or on TV or in come Currier and Ives painting. But this farm… and your family…"

Whatever he had said seemed to mean a lot to Luke as Noah's words brought tears to his eyes.

"I'm glad you love it here."

Noah reached over and hooked his arm around Luke's neck, pulling him closer so that they were warmed by each other's bodies under a canopy of snow flakes. They stayed that way for some time until the sound of someone clearing his throat caused them to look back at the house.

"Hey you two." It was Holden Snyder.

Luke smiled at his father. "Need something, Dad?"

"No, no. Sorry to disturb your quiet moment there. I know how rare those can be around here."

Noah laughed. Luke's father was so funny and easy going.

"We're about to hang the ornaments."

"Great!" Luke's face lit up.

"What?" asked Noah.

"Come on! It's a family tradition."

"Another one?" Noah teased, loving it all.

"Shut up!" Luke laughed, pushing Noah's shoulder so that he stumbled slightly.

Noah took Luke's hand and allowed Luke to lead him through the kitchen, where Luke's Grandma Emma was peering into the oven.

"Coming Gram?" Luke asked her as he and Noah paused in the doorway leading to the parlor.

She looked up and smiled. "Yes. I'll be there in a moment, Love. I'm just checking on the turkey!"

"It smells amazing, Mrs. Snyder." Noah told her.

"Why thank you my boy. You'll be getting an extra couple of sweet potatoes just for that!"

She winked at him, warming Noah's heart even more. He hadn't felt that way since before his own grandmother passed away.

Emma seemed to notice the sudden sadness. Dropping the pot holder in her hand onto the table, she quickly walked over to the pair and placed a hand on Noah's arm.

"Luke told me you recently lost your grandmother."

Noah nodded while struggling to keep his emotions in check.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Noah. But you are so very welcome in this home and in this family. I hope you know that?"

"Thank you." He whispered, sniffing back a tear. "I do."

Luke took hold of Noah's elbow and began dragging him into the parlor.

"Come on softy!" he laughed. "We don't want to miss the start!"

...

The Snyders' tradition of hanging ornaments was not to be missed. Each decoration, hung on the large Christmas tree in the parlor, symbolized characteristics of different family members.

Luke handed a rocking horse ornament to his father. The ornament represented Holden's work as a horse breeder.

Noah and the others watched as Faith, the older of Luke's two younger sisters, hung an ornament depicting Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, one of Noah's most favorite movies.

Natalie, Luke's youngest sister, fingered the antlers of her reindeer ornament while she searched for just the right branch. The ornament symbolized her love of animals and the outdoors.

Next was Lucinda Walsh, Luke's maternal grandmother, who Noah had already learned was a formidable force within the Snyder clan. She stood to hang her ornament – a royal crown. Noah laughed when he saw it and Luke thumped him to behave.

But when Noah looked over at him, he too was laughing.

Luke's ornament was a miniature piece of parchment and quill. It represented an aspect of Luke's character unknown to Noah until now. Luke dabbled in writing during his teen-age years before the responsibilities associated with work and marriage took over his life.

Noah itched to read something by the amateur author.

After the remaining members of the Snyder clan hung their ornaments, people started to disperse until Luke yelled out.

"Hang on! There's more!"

He bent over and foraged under the heavily-decorated tree until he found a small red box. He approached Noah and handed the box to him.

Noah frowned in confusion.

"Luke," he asked. "I thought we already exchanged gifts?"

"Yeah, but this is something else."

Noah lifted the lid and gasped. Inside was a beautifully detailed and glitter-sparkling miniature of his grandmother's movie theatre.

For a moment, the rest of the family seemed to vanish in a haze and the only two people in the room were Luke and Noah.

"Luke." he whispered, feeling his throat constrict.

"I know we haven't been together for long," Luke said. "But so much has happened and… and this is my way of showing you just how certain I am of our love."

Noah lifted his gaze from the ornament to meet something even more stunning - Luke's golden brown eyes.

"Noah, in finding you I found myself. I'm never letting you go. So… with this… I'm asking you to join my family. I'm asking you to stay with me… forever…"

Unable to speak through the immense emotion filling up his heart, Noah stood instead. He approached the tree; and finding a space on a high branch, hung his ornament there.

Luke grinned widely and jumped at Noah, gripping him in a tight hug that left both of them giggling.

"All right already!" an annoyed voice called out. "How about we can the PDA long enough to eat? I'm starving over here!"

Reid had been quiet up until now. The entire family sighed and disapprovingly shook heads as they walked past him stretched out on a couch at the back of the parlor.

He was still recovering from the stab wound inflicted by Greg. As it turned out, Reid had almost caused his own death by withdrawing the knife in his side so he could use it on Greg. The knife had been keeping the wound in check.

As a doctor, Reid was well aware of the gamble. But his action saved Noah's life for which both Noah and Luke were deeply grateful.

"But we're not finished yet," said Luke walking toward the sofa. "We haven't hung your ornament, Reid."

"Yeah well," Reid sniffed, shifting his body upward slightly. "I'm no longer a part of this family. So…"

Luke looked over at Noah who nodded before picking up the ornament box.

"Once a Snyder always a Snyder." Luke told Reid. "You can't get away from us that easily!"

Something passed between the two men and finally Reid nodded.

"Come on," Luke said, "I'll help you up so you can hang it yourself."

Reid wrapped his arm around Luke's shoulder as Luke lifted him carefully to his feet and guided him over to Noah, standing by the tree.

Noah reached deep into the box and pulled out Reid's ornament – a pair of specs to signify sight. Noah examined it for a moment and then handed it to his uncle.

A speechless Reid took the ornament by the attached ribbon and hung it on an empty branch.

The three of them stood there for a moment admiring the tree before Reid spoke up, surprising Luke and Noah.

"We were close you know?" Reid's gaze remained fixed on his ornament.

"Sorry?" Noah asked.

"Charlene and me."

Noah froze at hearing Reid utter his mother's name.

"Growing up… we were… we were real close."

Noah nodded.

"Sometimes you get this look…" Reid searched Noah's face for a sense of understanding, "and I see Charlene."

Perhaps for the first time Noah realized how much the loss of his sister contributed to Reid developing his distant personality.

"I'm sorry," Noah told him.

Reid looked back as the glass part of his ornament caught the glow of a twinkling light. "Funny the way life goes, huh?" He said, his legs beginning to sag from standing too long. Luke helped him back onto the coach.

"I have something for you, too." Noah said. "Hang on."

A surprised Reid watched Noah disappear upstairs.

"I always thought you hated coming here." Luke said, as they waited together.

"I did." Reid replied.

"Did?" Luke cocked his head at his ex-husband. "Am I sensing a change? Are you warming to the idea of family?"

Reid didn't answer. But Luke did notice a slight curl at the side of his mouth.

Holding a large envelope, Noah came back down the front stairs and into the parlor.

"So," Noah told Luke and Reid. "I went by the house just before we flew out here and there was a message from Mr. Pinter, Grams' lawyer. He asked me to come by the office to get this and give it to you."

He handed the envelope to Reid.

A confused Reid opened it and pulled out a document. As he began to read the first page, his eyes widened.

"What is it?" a curious Luke asked.

"Turns out Reid's dad took out a life insurance policy," Noah explained. "It paid out when Gra… when Reid's mother passed away."

Luke considered the new development for a moment.

"So that means…?"

"It means…" said Noah, "that Reid's dad apparently believed in forward thinking. He wanted to make sure that Reid would be taken care of. It's a substantial sum."

A stunned Reid stared at the check and cover letter.

"I don't think Gram knew about the policy." Noah added. "Mr. Pinter told me he only discovered it while closing your parents' file. Apparently, it was purchased before Mr. Pinter even joined the law firm.

"Who would have thought?" Reid muttered. "All this time…"

"Well…" said Luke. "Now you don't have to worry about money. At least for a while."

"Seems like it." Reid agreed. "And Noah can have the house back."

"Oh, I'm giving the house to Maddie." Noah announced. "She has a huge family that's packed in like sardines in that tiny two-bedroom apartment, while the house is paid off and going empty."

"Wow, Noah. Are you sure?" Luke asked. "I mean it's your grandmother's house?"

A shadow passed over Noah's face.

"I loved my grandmother. But I hate that house. The theatre means more to me."

Mindful of the white elephant – Greg Chilton's ghost – in the room, Reid turned away.

"It's an amazing gesture." Luke said, rubbing Noah's arm.

Then changing the subject, Luke turned to Reid.

"I also have something else for you."

Luke dug into his pocket and withdrew a set of keys.

"My car!" Reid exclaimed with pleasure, snatching at the ring.

"I think you earned its return." Luke smiled. "When you're ready, you'll find your precious Lexus in the garage at my apartment building."

"Cheers!" Reid smugly exclaimed, looking like he'd just won a major coup. He raised one eyebrow and eyed them from the side, "And my golf clubs?"

Luke grimaced. "Um… they're in the trunk…"

"Great!" a pleased Reid grinned from ear to ear as he played with his car keys.

Luke looked over at Noah who shrugged.

"Yes… but… I kinda lost one…"

The look of horror on Reid's face was comical and Noah coughed in his attempt to prevent a laugh escaping.

"WHAT? How? You don't even play golf?"

Luke smiled shyly and wrapped an arm around Noah's waist. "It's a long story. I'm really sorry. I'll buy you a replacement, okay?"

"It's not that easy…" Reid huffed.

"What do you mean?"

"Luke," he began, as though the blonde knew nothing about anything, "It's a special relationship between a golfer and his irons and woods."

That did it for Noah; he could no longer hold off the sniggers and burst out laughing.

But before Reid could lay on the admonishments, Lily arrived from the kitchen to distract him with the promise of food.

"Come on you guys!" Lily called, sticking her head around the door. "We're waiting for you so we can say grace."

Luke and Noah each took one of Reid's arms to help him up into the kitchen for Christmas dinner.

...

Later that night, Luke lay beside Noah in bed, sliding his hand down the long length of his back and down inside the bottom of his boxers; coming to rest on his buttocks.

Noah turned to Luke and, unable to look at him without touching him, his hand reached out to settle on Luke's upper arm.

"What are you thinking?" Luke asked, resisting an impulse to slip a finger in Noah's mouth and have him suck at it; and at other things. "Why do you look so serious?"

"I'm just sad we have to go back to New York. I feel so alive out here."

Noah's hand had moved to start grazing Luke's back, making Luke shiver.

"Let's move here then." Luke said impulsively.

"What?" Noah asked, jerking back slightly.

"Why not, Noah? World Wide has offices here, so that's not an issue; and Oakdale has a great university which boasts a renowned film department. Didn't you say you wanted to be a director?"

"But what about the theatre back in Brooklyn?"

"We can hire someone to run it. In fact I know someone who would be perfect for the job!"

"Who?"

"Maddie!"

Noah looked down at his hand as it smoothed up and down Luke's waist.

"Noah, from the first moment I saw you, I wanted you. Somehow, I've known that all my life. I live with the picture of you in my head. And now everything I do is done for you."

Noah let his body relax, his hand closing around Luke's.

"I lost everything for a moment there." Noah whispered, lifting his eyes to meet Luke's.

"I'll never leave you. Not ever." Luke smiled at him. "I've always had this dream. Do you want to hear it?"

Noah nodded.

"Since I was young, I dreamed of building a house here… on the farm, and raising a family there. But the dream needs the family, right?"

"We're a family?" Noah asked, searching his eyes.

"I love you. Do you love me?"

"Deeply."

Luke ducked down his head and kissed him. "Then we are already a family, albeit a small one and we can add to it. And, besides, our extended family is massive as well as…"

"…awesome." Noah finished with a smile. He ran a hand down Luke's cheek.

Luke broke out into a massive grin.

"What?" Noah asked.

"I was just thinking how things have kinda turned out like the title of that Natalie Wood movie you were telling me about…"

"Yeah? How do you mean?"

"Well I met you and… found love with the proper stranger."

...

**The End.**

**I really hope you have enjoyed this story. Please let me know if you have. Thanks ;-)**


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